Ball State University Athletics
WVB Hosts Toledo Thursday, Visits Akron Saturday
November 12, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
► FINAL REGULAR SEASON WEEKEND: The Ball State women's volleyball team ends the 2009 regular season this weekend with matches versus Toledo and Akron . . . Thursday, the Cardinals host Toledo in a 7 p.m. showdown that will be televised live by the Ball State Sports Network . . . Saturday, BSU ends the regular season with a 7 p.m. first serve at Akron.
► THE BSSN BROADCAST: For Thursday's Ball State Sports Network broadcast, Wil Hampton will cover the play-by-play action, while Rhonda (Gardemann) Murr, a four-year letterwinner for the Ball State women's volleyball team, will provide the color commentary . . . The match will be televised live on WIPB in Muncie . . . Fans can also watch online with a Ball State All-Access pass, which starts at $9.95 a month.
► BSU BREAKS MICHIGAN SLUMP: With a dominating defensive performance, the Ball State women's volleyball team picked up a 3-0 (26-24, 27-25, 25-8) sweep of Central Michigan last Sunday at Worthen Arena . . . Prior to the victory, the Cardinals were 0-5 versus teams from the state of Michigan this season.
► LOOKING AHEAD: After splitting a pair of league matches last weekend, the Cardinals enter Thursday's showdown versus Toledo with a 5-9 Mid-American Conference record . . . If the regular season ended today, Ball State would host its first round MAC Tournament contest as the No. 8 seed versus No. 9 Buffalo (5-9 MAC).
► BALL STATE IN MAC PLAY: Ball State enters the week with a 278-143 (.660) 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 at 291-130 (.691) . . . Toledo is 126-295 (.299) all-time in MAC play, while Akron is 139-164 (.459).
► SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State enters the week with a 12-15 (5-9 MAC) record after losing to Eastern Michigan Friday before scoring a senior day sweep over Central Michigan Sunday . . . Senior Alisha Green enters the week as BSU's top attacker with a 2.86 kills-per-set average, while junior Charde' Phillips leads the team and ranks third in the league with a .347 attack percentage . . . Sophomore Brittany McGinnis has set the Ball State offense to a .195 rate of success this season, while producing a 9.26 assists-per-set average . . . Junior Alysaa Rio leads the Cardinals backcourt with a 3.47 digs-per-set average, while Kelsey Brandl is the team's top blocker averaging 0.91 blocks per set . . . As a team, BSU is averaging 12.33 kills, 14.30 digs and 1.99 blocks per set . . . The Cardinals' opponents are hitting .178, while averaging 11.67 kills, 12.86 digs and 1.82 blocks per set.
► SCOUTING TOLEDO: The Rockets enter the week with a 16-10 (7-7 MAC) record after posting five-set home wins over Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan last week . . . While Toledo is 9-2 at home, the Rockets have lost eight of their last nine matches away from Savage Arena . . . Amber DeWeerdt is Toledo's top attacker with a 3.37 kills-per-set average, while Sarah Wilson has a team-leading .262 attack percentage . . . Kassie Kadera has set the Toledo offense to a .198 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 10.95 assists per set . . . Katie Westerfeld leads the team with a 3.35 digs-per-set average, while Liz Sundburg is the program's top blocker averaging 0.76 blocks per set . . . As a team, Toledo is averaging 13.00 kills, 16.16 digs and 1.57 blocks per set . . . The Rockets' opponents are hitting .210, while averaging 12.46 kills, 15.92 digs and 2.14 blocks per set.
► BSU VS. TOLEDO: Ball State holds a commanding 52-4 advantage in the all-time series versus the Rockets, including a hard-fought 3-2 (20-25, 25-21, 25-17, 21-25, 15-9) victory in the first meeting this season (Oct. 8) . . . Overall, the Cardinals have won 43 of the last 44 meetings in the series . . . Last season, Toledo snapped a 42-match losing streak to the Cardinals with its first-ever win at Worthen Arena (Nov. 6, 2008) . . . Overall, the Rockets are 2-24 in Muncie and 1-17 at Worthen Arena.
► SCOUTING AKRON: The Zips enter the week with a 13-16 (4-10 MAC) record after losing road matches at Kent State and Ohio last weekend . . . Akron is 4-6 at home this season, including a 2-4 record against league foes . . . Brionna Patterson is Akron's top attacker with a 3.97 kills-per-set average and paces the team with a .212 attack percentage . . . Kara Smith has set the Zips offense to a .189 attack percentage this season, while dishing out 9.95 assists per set . . . Chelsea Harvey leads the Akron backcourt with a 2.84 digs-per-set average, while Jackie Goleman has a team-best 0.60 blocks-per-set average . . . As a team, Akron is averaging 12.50 kills, 13.04 digs and 1.46 blocks per set . . . The Zips' opponents are hitting .222, while averaging 11.93 kills, 12.43 digs and 2.13 blocks per set.
► BSU VS. AKRON: The Cardinals hold a 25-3 edge in the all-time series versus the Zips despite a 3-2 (25-21, 19-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-13) setback in the most-recent meeting Nov. 9, 2008 at Worthen Arena . . . Prior to the loss, the Cardinals had won six-straight meetings . . . BSU has won the last three matches played in Akron, while owning a 12-2 record on the Zips' home floor.
► DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE: In Sunday's win over Central Michigan, the Ball State defense limited the Chippewas to a season-low -.133 (21-36-113) attack percentage . . . The mark was the lowest for a BSU opponent in the rally-scoring era, bettering the previous mark of -.055 (13-17-73) versus Chicago State earlier this year (Sept. 11) . . . In the third set alone, the Ball State defense held CMU to a -.412 (2-16-34) hitting mark . . . The mark is the worst single-set hitting mark for an opponent in the rally-scoring era as well, with the previous worst mark being a -.325 (4-17-40) performance by Central Michigan in a 30-10 third-set loss at Worthen Arena Oct. 5, 2001.
► RIO EARNS MAC WEEKLY HONOR: Ball State junior libero Alyssa Rio has been named the MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week . . . In last Sunday's three-set win over Central Michigan, Rio collected a match-high 19 digs to help limit the CMU attack to a season-low -.133 (21-36-113) hitting percentage . . . Last Friday versus Eastern Michigan, Rio posted a match-best and season-high 34 digs . . . The 34 digs were the most for a BSU player since Rio scored 34 in the Nov. 1, 2007 match versus Toledo . . . Overall, Rio collected a team-best 53 digs in the two matches for a 6.62 digs-per-set average.
► MORE ON RIO: Alyssa Rio enters the week ranked fourth in program history with 1,365 career digs . . . She needs 215 more digs to pass Amanda McCormick's (2005-06) career total of 1,579 for third on BSU's all-time list . . . Rio also ranks third in program history with 20-or-more digs in 30 matches and in career digs-per-set average (4.69) . . . In addition, her 65 career matches with double-figure digs in fifth in the BSU record book.
► THE BIG BLOCK: In last Sunday's three-set win over CMU, the Cardinals posted a season-high 16 total blocks, including nine in the third set . . . Senior Alisha Green led the charge at the net with a BSU career-high eight total blocks, while junior Charde' Phillips tallied seven and sophomore Brittany McGinnis collected five . . . Overall, the Cardinals have posted 10-or-more digs in four of the last six matches, while averaging 2.52 blocks per set over the same span.
► SULLIVAN DOUBLES UP: In last Friday's match versus Eastern Michigan, junior Hannah Sullivan smashed a season-high 20 kills to pace all players in the match . . . Sullivan also tallied a season-best 15 digs for her first double-double of the year . . . Sullivan, who also scored six kills versus CMU, entered the week with just 39 kills and 38 digs on the season.
► KAKATOLIS MOVES UP BLOCKING CHARTS: With eight total blocks last weekend, senior Elaina Kakatolis climbed to 18th on BSU's all-time total blocks chart with 249 . . . She entered the week tied for 19th at 241 . . . Kakatolis also moved up two spots to 16th in program history with 227 career block assists . . . In addition, her 743 career kills leave her 28 markers away from the top 20.
► BREIVOGEL EYES EIGHTH: Senior outside attacker Julie Breivogel, who recorded her 1,000th career kill versus Dayton (Aug. 29), enters the week ranked eighth in program history with 1,218 career kills after smashing 22 last week to pass Julie Zylka's (1998-2001) career total of 1,199 . . . Next on the list is Kelly Cochran (2003-06), who blasted 1,246 kills over her BSU career.
►OVER THE AIR WAVES: Due to Thursday's Ball State football game at Northern Illinois, WCRD will not broadcast Thursday's match versus Toledo . . . 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 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.
►ON THE TUBE: The Ball State Sports Network will televise a pair of BSU matches (Oct. 24 vs. Miami and Nov. 12 vs. Toledo) . . . In addition, Ball State Sports Link webcasted the Oct. 23 match vs. Bowling Green . . . The Oct. 23 match was streamed for FREE on www.ballstatesports.com, while fans need a Ball State All-Access account to watch the other two contests.
