Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Opens 2010 Fall Practice
August 09, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Under the direction of first-year head coach Steve Shondell, the Ball State women's volleyball team opened its 2010 preseason practice schedule Monday afternoon at Worthen Arena.
Shondell, who spent the past 34 seasons as the head girls varsity volleyball coach at the Burris Laboratory School in Muncie, Ind., inherits a roster with nine returning letterwinners which includes four starters and the team's libero from 2009. The Cardinals also mix in seven newcomers to complete a 16-member roster.
Highlighting the list of returnees is 2009 First Team All-Mid-American Conference selection junior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North H.S.). A two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week a year ago, Brandl finished her first season with the Cardinals by posting the 10th-best single-season hitting percentage in program history at .338. Brandl's 0.98 blocks-per-set average led also the team and ranked sixth in the league
The Cardinals also return four seniors including libero Alyssa Rio (Wayne, Ill./St. Francis H.S.), opposite side attacker Charde' Phillips (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria H.S.), outside hitter Hannah Sullivan (New Albany, Ind./New Albany H.S.) and defensive specialist Karin Caudill (Selma, Ind./Burris Laboratory School).
The Ball State women's volleyball team will have 18 days to prepare for its first match under Shondell, as the Cardinals open the 2010 season at Friday, Aug. 27 versus The Citadel in the SIUE Volleyball Classic.
