Ball State University Athletics
2009 Women's Volleyball Season Preview
August 10, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
The 2008 season was loaded with ups and downs for the Ball State women's volleyball program, as a roster full of 10 newcomers helped lead the team to a 12-21 (6-10 Mid-American Conference) record. What was a young, inexperienced team last season turns into a more veteran laden squad for 2009 as 12 student-athletes, including all six starters, return for what third-year head coach Dave Boos looks to be an exciting year.
"This season is going to be a very exciting for our team and fans," said Boos. "With our entire lineup returning, we will be able to progress quickly in the preseason and put a better team on the floor early in the year. In 2008, we did not hit our stride until two weeks into league play. This year, we will be more match-ready early and be able to fine-tune our play a lot more."
Being match-ready early is key for the Cardinals if they hope to achieve the ultimate goal of climbing back to the top of the MAC standings. Last season, a league-record three programs (Western Michigan, Ohio and Miami) advanced to the NCAA Tournament, with divisional foe WMU advancing to the Regional Semifinals where they lost to eventual national champion Penn State.
While the Cardinals' biggest victory of the season came in the form of a thrilling 3-2 road win at Miami (Oct.25), it is the team's seven five-set loss which will provide motivation when BSU opens the season.
"Last year's seven five-set losses left a bitter taste in our mouths and has made this group very hungry," said Boos. "This off-season, we have spent a lot of time fine tuning our offense and defense to be able to overcome those situations."
Looking to guide the Cardinals offense this season are a pair of 2008 MAC All-Freshman team selections in Jennifer Boyd and Brittany McGinnis. Boyd also earned Second Team All-MAC accolades after finishing her freshman season ranked fifth in the conference with a .313 attack percentage from her middle blocking position. She played in 32 matches, recording 206 kills and 76 total blocks.
"Jennifer came into the program as a very determined individual, eventually developing into an All-MAC level player," said Boos. "She is the type of player who wants the ball in tough situations, and with her drive and ability to improve on a daily basis, the sky is the limit for her."
In her first season as the team's setter, McGinnis helped the Cardinals improve almost .100 points in hitting. Her 1,245 assists as a freshman is the ninth-best single-season total in program history, while her 9.80 career assists-per-set average ranks sixth in BSU's career record book.
"Brittany came in and was able to effectively run our offense," said Boos. "She has learned a lot more about our hitters over the last few months and I think she will have our offense clicking at a very high level this fall."
Boyd will look to bolster a strong group of middles which also includes junior Charde' Phillips and sophomore transfer Kelsey Brandl. Phillips played in 22 matches for the Cardinals last season, blasting double-digit kills in five matches, while adding at least one block in 17 contests as she battled through injury.
"Charde' is a player who can carry a large role offensively and has a lot of competitive fire," said Boos. "Last season, she had injuries which held her back, but now she is healthy and I expect her to be a significant force for us."
Brandl played in 22 matches at the University of Cincinnati last season, including a Sept. 19 matchup versus the Cardinals in which she smashed nine kills while hitting .438. Brandl was the 25th-ranked high school player in the nation when she signed with the Bearcats, after enjoying a successful playing career at Lakeville North High School and with the U.S. Girls National Youth Team program.
"Kelsey is interesting because she will be able to add depth in the middle and right side positions," said Boos. "She will be the most physical player we have on the roster, at 6-4, and has a wealth of experience at both the national and international level. She has a lot of gifts and is someone who can come into our program and make an immediate impact."
Behind McGinnis at setter is redshirt freshman Andrea Felton who Boos describes as the most improved player on the team.
"Andrea came in last year and worked her tail off to do some amazing things in the gym," said Boos. "She had an opportunity to get on the floor for the first time in a Ball State jersey this spring and really showed her teammates she is match ready."
On the left side of the court, the Cardinals will look to seniors Julie Breivogel and Alisha Green, as well as junior Hannah Sullivan. Breivogel enters her senior season ranked 10th in program history with 995 career kills, and has played in all 93 matches over her career. Last season, she led the team with a 2.74 kills-per-set average, while blasting double-digit kills in a team-high 19 matches.
"I think Julie's experience with what we do and within the MAC will be invaluable," said Boos. "She has had some spectacular matches where she has done great things. She is getting more comfortable with Brittany as a setter, and our offense in general. I expect her to continue to be a significant contributor for us."
Green split time between the middle and the outside in her first year with the Cardinals last season, while playing in all 33 matches. She led the team in kills (330) and total blocks (90), while smashing double-figure kills in 15 matches.
"Alisha was a part-time outside for us last year," said Boos. "We made the decision to permanently make her an outside for her senior year. Alisha has been out there all spring and has made great progress as a hitter and as a player in general. I expect Alisha to blossom this year."
Sullivan, who was also in her first season with the BSU program last year, played in 28 matches, racking up 208 kills. She posted double-digit kills in nine matches, including five of her last seven outings.
"Hannah came in as a transfer and was limited by nagging injuries all of last year," said Boos. "This year, it is going to be interesting to see how Hannah develops as a player now that she is healthy. She is a fantastic ball control player with a lot of fire and competitiveness. She just needs to have more experience with our style of play."
In addition to the possibility of Brandl on the right side, the Cardinals have fifth-year senior Elaina Kakatolis holding down the opposite side pin. Kakatolis enters her senior season with 209 career blocks, 25 shy of breaking into the top 20 in program history.
"Elaina is a player who continually grows year after year, and I don't think she has peaked yet," said Boos. "She is someone who has another level inside of her and our goal is to get that out of her this fall. Elaina has had some amazing performances over her career. It is just going to be a matter of her continuing to take the next step."
Rounding out Ball State's roster are its five defensive specialists who will look to keep the Cardinals near the top of the MAC defensively. Junior libero Alyssa Rio leads the backcourt where she will be joined by fellow junior Karin Caudill, sophomores Kaylee Schembra and Christie Waters as well as freshman Lauren Schlaker.
In her previous two seasons with the Cardinals, Rio has proven to be one of the top defenders in program history, ranking seventh on the school's career digs chart with 1,174. Rio, who has played in all 236 sets over career, also ranks second in program annals with a 4.97 career digs-per-set average.
"Alyssa is coming back for her junior season very hungry to take her game to the next level," said Boos. "I think she has shown glimpses of brilliance over her career, and she will be a very important piece for us this season."
Schembra and Waters will also be battling for the starting libero position, as both saw action in the off-color jersey at different points last season. Schembra played in 31 matches last year, racking up 295 digs. Waters played in all 33 matches in 2008, posting 249 digs while battling through injury.
"Kaylee is incredibly athletic, very quick and our team's best passer," said Boos. "The question is going to be her growth within our defensive system. I am really excited to see what a healthy Christie can do. She is kind of the wild card for the team this year because we don't know what she is capable of doing. She came in very experienced, but injury issues did not allow her to play to her potential last year."
Caudill switches from a backup setter role to a pure defensive specialist role this season after playing in three matches a year ago. Schlaker will be looking to adjust to the collegiate game, joining the Cardinals from Oswego East High School where she was a three-time first-team all-conference selection and three-year team captain.
"Karin is an outstanding defender and can compete with anyone in our gym defensively," said Boos. "She just has to continue to develop her passing game. Lauren is a very impressive athlete who is extremely quick. She will be able to walk in the door and be right in the mix defensively."
The Cardinals open the 2009 season August 28 versus instate rival and 2008 NCAA Regional Semifinalist Purdue in the Mortar Board Premier Tournament. BSU also battles NCAA Tournament participant Dayton and Coastal Carolina in the two-day event.
"We are starting the season with two difficult matches versus a pair of top 25 teams," said Boos. "As a coaching staff, we are looking at these matches as a measuring stick and see where we are deficient and what we need to do to be able to hang with the top of the MAC."
Ball State will then kick off its 2009 home slate with the Active Ankle Challenge (Sept. 4-5), which features matches versus IPFW, SIU-Edwardsville and NCAA Tournament participant Louisville.
"Coming back home, we host another top 25 team in Louisville, which is going to be a fun one for our fans to watch," said Boos. "They are a big, physical team unlike any other team we are going to see out there."
Ball State will also compete in the Best Western ISU Classic hosted by Indiana State (Sept. 11-12), travel to non-conference foe IUPUI (Sept. 15) and play in the Towson Invitational (Sept. 18-19), before opening its 2009 MAC schedule with home matches versus Northern Illinois (Sept. 26) and two-time defending MAC West Division Champion Western Michigan (Sept. 27).
BSU's first road MAC test will come the following weekend, when it visits Central Michigan (Oct. 2) and Eastern Michigan (Oct. 3). Ball State's 16-match league schedule concludes with a Nov. 14 showdown at Akron.
Play in the 2009 MAC Tournament gets underway Nov. 17 with first-round action at campus sites. Tournament play continues Nov. 20-22 at the SeaGate Centre in Toledo, Ohio. The winner of the MAC Tournament earns the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament which begins Dec. 3.
"Overall, I think this team has a very high ceiling," said Boos. "I believe we are capable of beating any team in our conference. It is going to be a matter of staying healthy and having the pieces come together as each individual develops. I think it is going to be exciting to watch us go out and play with and beat the best. Our goal this year is to reestablish Ball State as a force in this conference."
