Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Travels To CMU & EMU This Weekend
October 01, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
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► VOLLEYBALL HITS THE ROAD FOR PAIR OF MAC MATCHES: After a brief two-match home stand, the Ball State women's volleyball team returns to the road this weekend for a pair of Mid-American Conference matches . . . Friday, the Cardinals visit Mt. Pleasant, Mich., for a 7 p.m. showdown with Central Michigan . . . Saturday, the Cardinals travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., for a 7 p.m. first serve versus Eastern Michigan.
► BSU OPENS LEAGUE PLAY WITH SPLIT: The Cardinals opened the 2009 Mid-American Conference season with a dominating 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-16) victory over Northern Illinois last Friday at Worthen Arena . . . It was BSU's seventh straight-set victory of the season, and the program's first win in a league-opener since 2006 . . . BSU was unable to carry the momentum into Saturday, however, as they suffered a 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-18) setback to two-time defending MAC West Division champion and 2008 NCAA Tournament Regional Semifinalist Western Michigan.
► ROAD WARRIORS: Prior to opening league play at home last weekend, BSU ended a seven-match road swing with a 5-2 record, with all five victories coming as sweeps . . . Ball State swept its way to the Best Western ISU Classic title, before winning at IUPUI and Towson . . . Overall, the Cardinals are 5-5 in matches away from Worthen Arena this season, including a 3-1 record in true road contests and a 2-4 mark in neutral site action.
► STRONG IN SEPTEMBER: The Ball State women's volleyball team accumulated an 8-4 record in the month of September, marking the best single-month effort since the 2004 squad posted a perfect 10-0 mark in October . . . It was also the program's best September since the 2001 squad went 9-2.
► BALL STATE IN MAC PLAY: Ball State enters the week with a 274-135 (.670) all-time record in league play, which ranks the Cardinals second in both wins and winning percentage . . . Western Michigan is the all-time leader in both categories with a 282-127 (.689) all-time MAC mark . . . WMU passed BSU for the all-time league lead in both categories after going 14-2 in MAC play last season, compared to 6-10 for the Cardinals . . . Central Michigan is 211-198 (.516) all-time in MAC action, while Eastern Michigan is 182-227 (.445).
► SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters the week with an 8-7 (1-1 MAC) record after sweeping Northern Illinois and losing to Western Michigan to open league play last weekend . . . Senior Alisha Green enters the week as BSU's top attacker with a 3.28 kills-per-set average, while junior Charde' Phillips leads the team and ranks second in the league with a .367 attack percentage . . . Sophomore Brittany McGinnis has set the Ball State offense to a .216 rate of success this season, while producing a 9.04 assists-per-set average . . . Christie Waters leads the Cardinals' backcourt with a 3.10 digs-per-set average, while Kelsey Brandl is the team's top blocker averaging 1.00 blocks per set . . . As a team, BSU is averaging 12.82 kills, 14.27 digs and 1.80 blocks per set . . . The Cardinals' opponents are hitting .193, while averaging 11.76 kills, 12.88 digs and 1.69 blocks per set.
► SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas enter the week with an 8-4 (1-1 MAC) record after surviving a five-set thriller versus Eastern Michigan and being swept by Ohio to open league play last weekend . . . Lauren Krupsky is CMU's top attacker with a 3.46 kills-per-set average . . . Stephanie Budde has set the Chippewas offense to a .200 attack percentage this season, while handing out 9.89 assists per set . . . Alexis Lonneman leads the team with a 4.80 digs-per-set average, while Kaitlyn Schultz is the program's top blocker averaging 0.78 blocks per set . . . As a team, CMU is averaging 12.83 kills, 15.17 digs and 1.80 blocks per set . . . The Chippewas' opponents are hitting .171, while averaging 11.10 kills, 14.88 digs and 1.68 blocks per set.
► BSU VS. CMU: Ball State holds a 33-27 advantage in the all-time series versus Central Michigan despite losses in the last four meetings . . . Last season, CMU scored a 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-19, 25-21) home victory Sept. 26 and a 3-0 (25-15, 26-24, 25-17) win at Worthen Arena Nov. 1 . . . Overall, the Cardinals are 14-11 all-time in Mt. Pleasant, despite losses in their last three trips to Rose Arena.
► SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Eagles enter the week with a 1-15 (0-2 MAC) record, after losing to Central Michigan (3-2) and Kent State (3-0) in league play last weekend . . . Rachel Iaquaniello is EMU's top attacker with a 3.20 kills-per-set average, while Jennifer Swartz paces the team with a .234 attack percentage . . . Ashley Mason has set the Eagles offense to a .132 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 8.19 assists per set . . . Haley Stein leads the EMU backcourt with a 4.41 digs-per-set average, while Swartz has a team-best 0.81 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, EMU is averaging 11.15 kills, 15.58 digs and 1.70 blocks per set . . . The Eagles' opponents are hitting .230, while averaging 13.93 kills, 17.12 digs and 1.82 blocks per set.
► BSU VS. EMU: Ball State holds a commanding 43-18 all-time series lead versus Eastern Michigan after winning all three meetings in 2008 . . . Last season, BSU swept the regular season series; 3-1 (25-20, 25-12, 23-25, 25-13) Sept. 27 at Worthen Arena and 3-1 (28-26, 20-25, 25-20, 25-17) Oct. 31 at EMU's Convocation Center . . . BSU also swept the Eagles 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) in the first round of the MAC Tournament (Nov. 18) in a match played at Worthen Arena . . . Overall, BSU is 15-12 in Ypsilanti, Mich., with EMU winning three of the last four matches played on its home court.
► HOW SWEEP IT IS: With a 3-0 sweep of Northern Illinois in its MAC opener last Friday, BSU has won seven of its eight matches by virtue of the sweep . . . In those contests, the Cardinals are hitting .299, while limiting opposing teams to a .088 rate of success . . . Junior middle blocker Charde' Phillips leads the team with a .500 hitting percentage and a 3.78 kills-per-set average in the seven matches, while senior outside attacker Alisha Green has averages 3.76 kills per set . . . Sophomore defensive specialists Christie Waters and Kaylee Schembra lead the backcourt with 68 digs (3.24 digs per set) and 66 digs (3.14), respectively . . . Sophomore middle blocker Kelsey Brandl has a team-best 1.18 blocks-per-set average.
► FAST PLAY: In addition to its seven sweeps, Ball State has yet to play a match longer than four sets this season . . . BSU is 7-4 in three-set matches and 1-3 in four-set contests so far this season . . . Through the first 15 matches last season, the Cardinals were 2-4 in three sets, 2-4 in four sets and 0-3 for five sets.
► GREEN STEPPING UP: Senior outside attacker Alisha Green has stepped up her offensive production as of late, recording double-figure kills in each of BSU's last five matches . . . Last weekend, Green posted match-highs for kills versus Northern Illinois (11) and Western Michigan (14) . . . The 25 kills in just six sets gives her a 4.17 kills-per-set average which ranks third in the Mid-American Conference in league-only matches.
► MCGINNIS BEHIND THE LINE: Not only has sophomore setter Brittany McGinnis led the Cardinals to a .216 team hitting percentage this season, but she has also played a big role in leading BSU to the second-best serving average, 1.52 aces per set, in the league . . . McGinnis, who ranks eighth in the MAC with a 0.32 aces-per-set average, has recorded at least one ace in the last seven matches, including a career-high four versus Penn (Sept. 18.) . . . She has also collected two aces in three of the last seven outings . . . McGinnis currently leads the Cardinals with 15 aces.
► KAKATOLIS BREAKS INTO TOP 20: After being credited with four block assists last weekend, senior opposite attacker Elaina Kakatolis continued to rank 19th in program history with 210 career block assists . . . In addition, her 231 career blocks are five shy of the top 20 in BSU annals, while her 720 career kills leave her 51 markers away from the top 20 in BSU history.
► BREIVOGEL GOING FOR NINTH: Senior outside attacker Julie Breivogel, who recorded her 1,000th career kill versus Dayton (Aug. 29), enters the week with 1,124 career kills after smashing nine in BSU's two matches last week . . . Breivogel needs 12 more kills to pass Mindy Stanley's (1993-96) career total of 1,135 kills for ninth on BSU's all-time list.
►OVER THE AIR WAVES: The Ball State women's volleyball team has the most comprehensive radio package in the Mid-American Conference, as WCRD 91.3 FM will once again be the radio home of the Cardinals for the 2009 season . . . The station is slated to cover all 11 of the Cardinals home matches this season, as well as select road contests and all of BSU's 2009 MAC Tournament action . . . The state-of-the art WCRD studio will be the home of "Serving It Up" with Dave Boos, a weekly volleyball report which airs Monday nights from 7 to 8 p.m. beginning Aug. 31.
►ON THE TUBE: The Ball State Sports Network will televise a pair of BSU matches (Oct. 24 versus Miami and Nov. 12 versus Toledo), while Ball State Sports Link is slated to webcast at least one match.
