Ball State University Athletics
Women's Volleyball 2011 Season Preview
August 18, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - As the Ball State women's volleyball team prepares to open its 2011 campaign, it looks to build upon the 2010 season which was one of the most successful in program history.
Under the direction of then-first-year head coach Steve Shondell, the Cardinals posted one of the most impressive turnarounds in NCAA history, climbing to 50th in the 2010 Final NCAA RPI Rankings from 153 the previous year.
The Cardinals finished the 2010 season with a 24-5 overall record and its .828 winning percentage ranked 17th in the nation among the 328 NCAA Division I programs. Ball State also claimed the 2010 Mid-American Conference Regular Season Championship by posting a 14-2 record in league play.
Ball State also dominated play on its home court, posting a perfect 12-0 record at Worthen Arena. The effort made BSU one of just 10 teams in the nation to finish the season undefeated at home.
In his second year at the helm of the BSU women's volleyball team, Shondell, the 2010 MAC Coach of the Year, looks to build upon the successes of last season and help the Cardinals achieve their ultimate goal of playing in the NCAA Tournament.
"For all the success we had last season, the way our year ended will drive us to achieve even more this fall," said Shondell. "We made a lot of progress in bringing Ball State Volleyball back into the national spotlight, and I look for our program to continue moving forward this season."
One of the most important aspects of continuing the team's growth will be reviving the continuity and focus from last season according to Shondell.
"The most important thing we need to do is develop our team chemistry and get our focus back for this season," said Shondell. "We had a really good mental attitude last year, where we focused on getting ready for the next match. I think that is the way you have to go, because in college volleyball you can have good wins and you can have bad losses. Good wins are great, but bad losses come back to haunt you. You have to take the season one match at a time and not look too far ahead."
Luckily for the Cardinals, rebuilding the team chemistry and focus from last year should not be a daunting task as the squad returns 11 letterwinners, including all six of its position starters from a year ago. Highlighting the list of returners are one First Team All-MAC honoree in senior middle blocker Kelsey Brandl and a pair of Second Team All-MAC selections in senior setter Brittany McGinnis and sophomore outside hitter Whitney Heeres.
The following is a breakdown of the 2011 Ball State Women's Volleyball Team by position:
SETTER:
A three-year starter at setter for the Cardinals, Brittany McGinnis returns for her senior season ranked fifth in program history with 3,352 career assists. McGinnis, who has started all 93 of BSU's matches over her career, handed out 1,076 assists last year while guiding the Ball State offense to a .224 attack percentage to earn Second Team All-MAC accolades.
McGinnis will have some competition for her starting spot, however, as sophomore Jacqui Seidel returns to the squad after playing in 10 matches last year. Freshman Jaclyn Fullove, who is Shondell's niece, will also compete for reps as setter.
"We have three setters, two returning from last season," said Shondell. "Brittany has been a three-year starter for us and played a large role in helping us earn the MAC title last season. Jacqui has looked very good in the preseason and will compete with Brittany for the starting spot this fall. Jaclyn will be our number three setter this year."
OUTSIDE:
Both of Ball State's starting outside hitters return from last season in sophomores Whitney Heeres and Kylee Baker. Heeres, who played in all 109 sets for BSU last season, was named Second Team All-MAC after leading Ball State with a 3.36 kills-per-set average in league play. Baker, who played in 107 sets as a freshman, returns to the lineup after averaging 2.97 kills-per-set for the season.
"Whitney was sidetracked with an illness for half of the summer and is trying to recover coming into the preseason," said Shondell. "She is preforming very well and we expect her to be at full strength before too long. Kylee, who was a crowd favorite last season, has made significant improvements in her game and looks to be a real offensive threat for us again this year."
Others expected to make an impact on the left side are junior transfer Kara Bates from the University of Maryland, redshirt sophomore Claire Farkas and freshman Marquita Marshall.
"Kara is a really good athlete and an experienced player, as she started two years for Maryland," said Shondell. "It's going to take her a while to learn our system, but she will factor as a potential outside starter as well. Claire is a good ball control player and a good hitter who gives us depth on the outside. Marquita is a fine athlete with a lot of potential. We hope she develops into a good player for Ball State."
MIDDLE / RIGHT SIDE:
BSU's middle group will be led by senior Kelsey Brandl, who is a two-time First Team All-MAC honoree. Brandl ranks third in program history with a .345 career hitting percentage, while her 2.89 career kills-per-set average ties for 11th. Brandl will be joined in the middle by classmate Jennifer Boyd and sophomore Mindy Marx, both of whom could also see playing time on the right side.
"Kelsey is a mainstay in the middle," said Shondell. "Coming back as a two-time first team all-conference player, she will be solid as a rock in the middle. We also feel confident with both Jennifer and Mindy in the middle. Both are performing at a very high level. Jennifer saw a lot of action on the right side last fall, and has come back jumping two or three inches higher than she did last year."
Also looking to contribute on the right side is sophomore transfer Lauren Grant, who joins the Ball State program after playing one season at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, freshmen Kelly Hopkins and Hayley Benson look to gain experience behind BSU's veteran group of middles.
"Lauren can come in and make an immediate impact on the right side," said Shondell. "I look for both Kelly and Hayley to gain a lot of experience learning from our talented pool of upperclassmen. Overall, I feel like we have several solid possibilities at middle and on the right side. Who plays depends on how things shake out over the course year."
BACKCOURT:
One place where the Cardinals will look for someone new to step up and make a name for herself is in the libero position, as reigning CVU.com National Libero Alyssa Rio completed her final year of eligibility last season.
"Alyssa was the emotional leader of our team last year, and will be missed," said Shondell. "When you lose a player of that magnitude, it is going to affect your team. However, we are lucky enough to have her back in the program as a student assistant. Hopefully, she will be able to pass along her knowledge and experience to the players who are going to fill her role this season."
Looking to help fill the passing void left by Rio's departure is a pair of experienced players in senior Kaylee Schembra and sophomore Catie Fredrich. Schembra has played in 88 matches over her career and ranks 17th in program history with her 2.45 career digs-per-set average. Fredrich played in all 29 matches as a freshman last season, collecting double-digit digs in 10 contests.
"Kaylee and Catie will be our two mainstays in the backcourt," said Shondell. "Kaylee is our most experience defender, while Catie is a solid left-handed defender. They both give us some experience in the backcourt which we are really counting on."
Also looking to make an impact in the backcourt are junior Lauren Schlaker and redshirt freshman Maria Dorsten who joined the team for the 2011 spring semester.
"Both Lauren and Maria worked really hard this spring and have taken their games to a new level," said Shondell. "Both are capable of going out and making an impact on the court."
THE MAC:
With a loaded preseason schedule which is highlighted by matches at Valparaiso, at No. 13 Purdue and at Michigan State, the Cardinals are looking to prepare themselves for what is shaping up to be a very competitive conference season.
"The MAC is tougher than it has ever been in its history," said Shondell. "The MAC West, which is our division, is absolutely loaded. Any one of the six teams could win the division this year. In the MAC East, I think Ohio will be in the catbird seat, but after the Bobcats, you have five teams battling for second place. Fans are going to get their money's worth when they come out to watch Mid-America Conference volleyball this season."
