Ball State University Athletics
Volleyball Visits EMU & CMU This Weekend
November 03, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
►FINAL ROAD WEEKEND: The Ball State women's volleyball team embarks on its final road trip of the 2010 regular season this weekend, as it travels to Eastern Michigan Friday and Central Michigan Saturday . . . Both contests start at 7 p.m.
►WEEKEND REVIEW: With wins over Western Michigan (3-2) and Northern Illinois (3-0) last weekend, the Ball State women's volleyball team secured first place in the Mid-American Conference standings for the first time since the end of the 2010 regular season . . . With a 10-2 league record, the Cardinals hold a one-match lead over NIU (9-3 MAC) and Eastern Michigan (9-3 MAC) in the MAC West Division and overall race . . . WMU is two matches back with its 8-4 MAC record.
►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 10-0 record . . . Since Worthen Arena opened for the 1992 season, the Cardinals have compiled a 196-56 (.778) record in the building, including a 151-30 (.834) 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 a 20-4 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).
►THE RECORD: Ball State's 20-4 record ties with No. 15 Michigan for the 17th-best winning percentage in the nation at .833 . . . No. 4 Hawaii is first at .955 (21-1).
►MORE ON THE RECORD: Ball State's 20-4 record so far this season ties as the best in program history through 24 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 (20-4) enters the week in sole possession of first place in the Mid-American Conference standings after scoring wins over Western Michigan (3-2) and Northern Illinois (3-0) last weekend . . . Junior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl leads the team in kills per set (3.27), hitting percentage (.335), blocks per set (0.86) and service aces (24) . . . Freshmen outside hitters Whitney Heeres and Kylee Baker rank second (3.12) and third (2.95), respectively, on the team in kills per set . . . In the backcourt, senior libero Alyssa Rio ranks fourth nationally with her 5.78 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, the Cardinals are out-hitting their opponents .218 to .163 on the year, while holding a 13.76 to 11.37 advantage in kills per set.
►BALL STATE VS. EASTERN MICHIGAN: After claiming a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-22) victory over Eastern Michigan on Oct. 2, the Cardinals hold a 44-20 lead in the all-time series . . . Over the past three seasons, the winner of the first match has went on to sweep the season series, with EMU winning in 2007 and 2009, and BSU taking three matches (including a MAC Tournament victory) in 2008 . . . The Cardinals are 15-13 all-time in Ypsilanti.
►SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN: The Eagles enter the week with a 22-7 (9-3 MAC) record after scoring a win at Central Michigan (3-2) and a loss at Ohio (3-1) . . . Rachel Iaquaniello leads EMU with a 3.83 kills-per-set average, while Paige Roback (2.32) and Jenn Swartz (2.07) follow . . . Haley Stein paces the Eagles backcourt and ranks third nationally with her 5.80 digs-per-set average . . . As a team, the Eagles are out-hitting opponents .209 to .170 on the year, while holding a 13.25 to 11.98 edge in kills-per-set.
►BALL STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Cardinals improved to 35-28 in the all-time series versus Central Michigan after scoring a 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 25-10, 25-17) victory over the Chippewas on Oct. 1 . . . While the Cardinals have won the last two matches in the series, BSU has not picked up a win in Mount Pleasant since the 2005 season, losing in their last four trips to CMU . . . Ball State is 14-12 all-time in Mount Pleasant, despite the four straight setbacks.
►SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: The Chippewas enter the week with a 12-12 (6-6 MAC) record after suffering a home loss to Eastern Michigan (3-2) and winning at Kent State (3-0) last weekend . . . CMU hosts Toledo Thursday before playing BSU Saturday . . . Lauren Krupsky leads the CMU attack with a 3.42 kills-per-set average, while Kaitlyn Schultz (2.63) and Lindsey Dulude (2.33) follow . . . Lisa Johnson paces CMU's backcourt with 3.00 digs per set . . . As a team, CMU is out-hitting opponents .238 to .197 on the year, while holding a 13.04 to 11.50 edge in kills-per-set.
►TWO OF THE BEST: Two of the nation's top liberos will square off Friday in Ypsilanti, Mich., when BSU's Alyssa Rio and EMU's Haley Stein meet . . . Rio ranks fourth nationally with a 5.78 digs-per-set average, while Stein is third at 5.80 . . . In the first meeting this season, Rio out-dug Stein 26 to 19 in a three-set Ball State sweep of Eastern Michigan.
►NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: After averaging 7.88 digs per set last weekend, Ball State senior libero Alyssa Rio was named the CVU.com National Player of the Week . . . In Friday's win over WMU, Rio collected a career-high 44 digs, and followed with 19 digs in the sweep of NIU . . . She also posted a perfect reception percentage, passing all 24 balls served her way
►RIO ON BSU'S CAREER CHARTS: With her 44-dig effort Friday versus WMU, Alyssa Rio is now tied for first in program history with 20-or-more digs in 45 matches . . . In addition, Rio ranks second in program history with double-digit digs in 92 matches, trailing Stephanie Keller's (2001-04) total of 101 . . . Rio enters the week with 1,970 career digs and a 4.97 career digs-per-set average which both rank second in program history
►DEFENSE ON DISPLAY: In addition to Alyssa Rio, BSU's defense as a whole turned in a dominating performance versus Northern Illinois, limiting the league's leading attacking team to a .151 rate of success . . . NIU entered the match hitting .264 as a team.
►LEAGUE AWARDS: The Cardinals swept the MAC West Division weekly awards this week, with Alyssa Rio earning defensive player of the week honors for the third time this season and junior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl picking up offensive player of the week accolades for the first time this season . . . Rio is a four-time award winner over her career, while Brandl has collected three career honors.
►BOYD MAKING A MARK: Junior right side hitter Jennifer Boyd had a strong weekend for BSU, blasting 25 kills for a 3.12 kills-per-set average, while hitting .373 to help guide BSU to first place in the MAC standings . . . Boyd entered the week averaging 1.75 kills per set and hitting .240.
►DISHING THE ROCK: Junior setter Brittany McGinnis led the Ball State attack to a .274 hitting percentage against two of the league's top defensive units . . . BSU connected for a .229 rate of success in the five-set win over Western Michigan, while adding a .366 effort against Northern Illinois, which was the second-best mark for the Cardinals this season . . . BSU has hit .200-or-better 17 times this season, including six matches above .300.
►IN THE RPI: The Cardinals continued to climb up the NCAA RPI chart, rising to 49th after last weekend's pair of wins . . . Western Michigan is the highest-ranked league team at 44, while the entire MAC West is in the top 107 among the 328 ranked teams.
