Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
8-9 (1-3MAC)
Eastern Michigan
3-16 (2-2MAC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 25 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 1 |
| Eastern Michigan | 23 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Eastern Michigan Posts 3-1 Victory Over Women?s Volleyball
October 04, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
YPSILANTI, Mich. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team lost its third straight match to a Mid-American Conference opponent form the state of Michigan with a 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-23) setback at Eastern Michigan's Convocation Center Saturday evening.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 8-9 (1-3 MAC). EMU improves to 3-16 (2-2 MAC) with its second win over a league foe in as many nights.
Alisha Green (Country Club Hills, Ill./Hillcrest H.S.) led the Ball State offense once again, racking up a match-high 14 kills. Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North H.S.) also scored double-figure markers for the second straight night, adding a career-high 13 kills.
On the defensive side, BSU's Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.) collected a match-best 20 digs after returning to the starting libero role for the first time since a season-opening injury versus Purdue. Kaylee Schembra (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli H.S.) added 17 digs for the Cardinals.
As a team, the Cardinals finished the match with a .089 (50-36-158) attacking mark as the EMU block logged 11.5 total blocks. The Eagles finished the night with a .169 (43-19-142) rate of success.
Rachel Iaquaniello led the Eastern Michigan offense with 12 kills, while Jennifer Swartz added 12. Four Eagles tallied double-figure digs in the match, with Kim Jarzynka posting a team-best 15.
Eastern Michigan started the match strong, posting the first three points and eventually pulling ahead by five at 9-4. However, with the Cardinals trailing 15-11 after a timeout out, a kill and service ace from Jennifer Boyd (Evans City, Pa./Seneca Valley H.S.) sparked a 5-1 BSU run that tied the set at 16.
With the score tied at 17, EMU rattled off three straight points to regain the edge at 20-17. Once again, the Cardinals were able to respond, posting the next five markers and taking their first lead of the night at 22-20 thanks to back-to-back Boyd kills.
EMU would not go down easy, scoring the next three points to pull back ahead 23-22. A kill from BSU's Green tied the score for the fifth time in the frame at 23-23. Ball State's block took over from there, as Boyd combined with Green and then Elaina Kakatolis (Arcanum, Ohio/Franklin Monroe H.S.) for back-to-back blocks to win the set 25-23.
After falling behind 4-1 to start the second set, the Cardinals were able to rally behind a Green kill and a pair of EMU miscues to tie the score at four. Unfortunately, three BSU errors followed and the Eagles took control of the set from there, winning the frame 25-17 on a BSU attack error.
The third set started with the team battling to another 4-4 deadlock, before a 4-0 run from the hosts Eagles moved the score to 8-4. Ball State was able to draw within two moments later as kills from Julie Breivogel (Boonville, Ind./Boonville H.S.) and Brandl made the score 8-6.
A Breivogel ace kept the Cardinals within three at 12-9, but a kill from EMU's Kristen Baker sparked a 6-1 run that gave Eastern Michigan an 18-10 edge. Ball State was able to cut the lead to three points at 21-18, but could get no closer, as an attack error ended the set at 25-20.
Ball State was the first to charge ahead in the fourth game, using a Brandl kill and ace, surrounding a block assists from Green and Charde' Phillips (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria H.S.), to break a 6-6 tie and force the Eagles to call their first timeout trailing 9-6. A kill from EMU's Iaquaniello cut the BSU lead to two, at 9-7, but an Eagles error and a Phillips kill pushed the lead to four at 11-7.
A Green kill pushed the BSU advantage to eight at 19-11, but some scrappy play from the Eagles brought the hosts within one at 20-19 in an 8-1 run that led to both the Cardinals timeouts. Three Ball State attack errors after the final timeout extended the run to 11-1 and completed the EMU comeback, giving them a 22-20 advantage.
A kill and block assists from Phillips on the next two plays tied the score at 22, while two plays later the set was knotted at 23. Iaquaniello followed with a kill to give the Eagles match point, while Victoria Randolph blasted the match-winning marker at 25-23.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Thursday, when they travel to Toledo, Ohio for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Rockets.
