Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Battles For First Place This Weekend
October 29, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
►BIG WEEKEND IN MUNCIE: Three of the top four teams in the Mid-American Conference will be on display this weekend at Worthen Arena when the Ball State women's volleyball team hosts Western Michigan (Friday) and Northern Illinois (Saturday) . . . Friday's contest versus the Broncos is a match-up of teams tied for second in the MAC West Division at 8-2 . . . Saturday's match pits the Cardinals against the league-leading Huskies who enter the week with a 9-1 MAC record, with its only loss coming versus Ball State in the league-opener for both teams . . . Both matches are set for 7 p.m. first serves.
►WEEKEND REVIEW: The Cardinals cruised to 18-4 (8-2 MAC) on the year with a pair of sweeps last weekend . . . Friday, BSU scored a 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 26-24) victory at Miami, marking the fifth straight match the road team has won in the series . . . Saturday, the Cardinals posted a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-12) sweep at Bowling Green, ending a six-match losing streak to the Falcons.
►HOME SWEET HOME: After a rough few seasons at Worthen Arena, with the Cardinals going 21-34 (14-21 vs. MAC opponents) at home from 2006-2009, Ball State has regained its homecourt dominance this season, with a perfect 8-0 record . . . Since Worthen Arena opened for the 1992 season, the Cardinals have compiled a 194-56 (.776) record in the building, including a 145-30 (.829) record against league foes.
►PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Ball State head coach Steve Shondell picked up right where he left off at Burris Laboratory School, winning his first seven matches with the Cardinals and guiding the team to an 18-4 record so far this season . . . As the head coach for Burris, Shondell racked up an 1183-95 record over his 34-year career from 1976-2009 . . . The 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee coached the Owls to 21 state championships, including 13 straight Indiana Class 2A titles . . . The Owls won four national championships (1990, 1992, 1997 and 2004), and finished with undefeated records seven times (1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1997, 2004 and 2009).
►LOOKING AT THE RECORD: Ball State's 18-4 record so far this season ties as the best in program history through 22 matches with the 2000 and 1993 squads, both of which advanced to the NCAA Tournament . . . The 1993 team finished the year with a 26-5 overall record, winning the MAC Tournament before losing to Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA Tournament . . . The 2000 squad earned the program's only at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after posting a 25-7 overall record and losing to Western Michigan in the MAC Tournament championship match . . . The Cardinals lost to then-No. 16 Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament first round, in a match that was later vacated by the Buckeyes for NCAA rules violations.
►SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: Ball State (18-4) enters the week in a three-way tie for second in the MAC West Division after scoring road wins at Miami (3-0) and Bowling Green (3-0) last weekend . . . Junior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl leads the team in kills per set (3.22), hitting percentage (.330), blocks per set (0.89) and service aces (21) . . . Freshmen outside hitters Whitney Heeres and Kylee Baker rank second (3.13) and third (2.88), respectively, on the team in kills per set . . . In the backcourt, senior libero Alyssa Rio ranks 10th nationally with her 5.57 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, the Cardinals are out-hitting their opponents .213 to .159 on the year, while holding a 13.61 to 11.32 advantage in kills per set.
►BALL STATE VS. WESTERN MICHIGAN: After posting seven straight wins in the series, including a 3-0 (25-22, 30-28, 25-18) victory Sept. 25, Western Michigan holds a 38-36 edge in the all-time series versus Ball State . . . The Cardinals last win in the series was a hard-fought 3-2 (32-30, 30-27, 18-30, 24-30, 15-12) road victory Oct. 28, 2006 . . . WMU is 13-19 all-time in Muncie, including a 5-14 record inside Worthen Arena.
►SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN: The Broncos enter the week with an 18-6 (8-2 MAC) record after scoring road sweeps at Ohio and Kent State last weekend . . . Jessica Brown leads WMU with a 3.27 kills-per-set average, while Ali Gossen (2.49) and Allyson Doyle (2.42) follow . . . Lena Oliver paces the Broncos backcourt with a 5.44 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, Western Michigan is out-hitting its opponents .230 to .180 on the year, while holding a 14.02 to 13.20 edge in kills-per-set.
►BALL STATE VS. NORTHERN ILLINOIS: With a 3-2 (25-20, 18-25, 17-25, 25-23, 16-14) victory at Northern Illinois Sept. 24, the Cardinals evened the all-time series versus the Huskies at 25-25 . . . Overall, BSU has won the last three matches in the series . . . NIU is 6-12 all-time in matches played in Muncie, including a 3-10 record in Worthen Arena.
►SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies enter the weekend with a league-best 23-2 (9-1 MAC) record . . . Last week, NIU scored wins at Kent State (3-2) and Ohio (3-1) . . . Northern Illinois plays at Toledo Friday, before heading to Muncie Saturday . . . Lauren Wixinski leads NIU with a MAC-best 4.84 kills-per-set average, while Allison McGlaughlin (2.80) and Mary Kurisch (2.19) follow . . . Maddie Hughes leads the Northern Illinois backcourt with a 4.45 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, NIU is out-hitting its opponents .267 to .178 on the year, while holding a 14.08 to 11.12 edge in kills-per-set.
►SERVING IT UP: Friday's match between the Cardinals and Broncos features the top two serving teams in the league . . . WMU enters the contest with a .959 serving percentage and just 77 serving errors, while BSU is second in both categories at .940 and 112, respectively.
►TOP 10: After helping lead the Cardinals to a pair of road sweeps last weekend, senior libero Alyssa Rio ranks 10th in the nation with a 5.57 digs-per-set average . . . Rio, who is one of three players to see action in all of BSU's 82 sets this season, has tallied 457 digs this year . . . In MAC play, Rio has collected 225 digs in 40 sets for a 5.62 average . . . Rio is not the only BSU libero to flirt with the national lead in digs, as then senior Amanda McCormick (2005-06) finished the 2006 season with a NCAA record 7.68 digs-per-set average, topping the previous mark of 7.02.
►RIO ON BSU'S CAREER CHARTS: Alyssa Rio enters Friday's match versus Western Michigan ranked second in program history with 1,907 career digs . . . With her 27-dig performance at Buffalo (Oct. 9), Rio moved into a tie for second in program history with 20-or-more digs in 44 matches, trailing only Amanda McCormick's 45 matches . . . In addition, Rio's 90 matches with double-figure digs ties for second in program history, trailing Stephanie Keller's (2001-04) total of 101.
►TEAM DIGGING: As a team, the Cardinals enter the week ranked third in the league and 20th in the nation with a 17.37 digs-per-set average . . . Western Michigan is first in the MAC and fourth nationally at 18.62, followed by Eastern Michigan which is 13th in the nation at 17.72.
►HEERES COMING UP BIG: Freshman Whitney Heeres turned in perhaps the best weekend of her career in helping guide the Cardinals to sweeps of Miami and Bowling Green . . . Heeres collected a team-high 16 kills in each contest, while hitting .439 for the weekend . . . She hit .444 (16-0-36) at Miami and followed with a .433 (16-3-30) effort at BGSU . . . She also tallied a career-high four blocks (one solo and three assists) in the win over the Falcons . . . Since MAC play began, Heeres leads the team with kills per set (3.60), kills (144) and attempts (372) . . . In BSU's first 12 matches, Heeres compiled 113 kills and ranked third on the team with 2.69 kills per set.
►3,000 AND COUNTING: With 75 assists last weekend, junior setter Brittany McGinnis became the fifth player in program history to collected over 3,000 career assists . . . In 86 career matches, McGinnis has set up 3,038 kill shots, which ranks fifth in program history . . . Her 9.77 career assists-per-set average is sixth in BSU annals . . . This season, McGinnis is averaging a career-best 10.16 assists per set and is on pace for her third-straight 1,000 assist season.
