Ball State University
10-10 (3-4MAC)
Kent State
5-14 (2-5MAC)
Women?s Volleyball Scores Friday Sweep Of Kent State
October 13, 2012 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team rebound from a tough couple weeks with a dominating 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-22) sweep of Kent State Friday evening in Mid-American Conference cross-division play at Worthen Arena.
The victory improves the Cardinals overall record to 10-10, while its MAC mark moves to 3-4. The Golden Flashes fall to 5-14 (2-5 MAC) with the loss.
In her first career start at setter for Ball State, freshman Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carrol H.S.) shined by dishing out a career-high 42 assists and guiding the BSU offense to a .270 (49-19-111) hitting mark. She also served up a career-best four aces while tying a career-high with six digs. Spadafora had been playing on the left side for the Cardinals past five matches.
Leading the way for the Ball State offense for the third consecutive match was senior transfer middle hitter Lisa Scott (McLean, Va./Langley/Maryland) with a match-best 13 kills. Scott also finished the night with a .500 (13-2-22) attack percentage, marking the third consecutive match she has hit .500-or-better.
Senior outside hitter Kara Bates (Bradley, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais Community/Maryland) added her third consecutive double-double with 11 kills and 12 digs, while redshirt freshman opposite attacker Hayley Benson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) smashed a career-high 10 kills and also hit .500 (10-1-18).
Junior libero Catie Fredrich (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls) added a team-best 13 digs for the Cardinals.
Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola led the Kent State offense with eight kills, while Hannah Herc added a match-best 16 digs.
Overall, the Ball State defense limited the Golden Flashes to a .191 (31-13-94) hitting mark for the night, while holding a 45-35 advantage in digs. BSU also out-aced KSU 5-4, while Kent State held a 7.0-3.0 edge in team blocks.
The Cardinals scored four of the first five points in the opening set, and maintained a 7-3 edge before the guests rallied back to tie the score at 9-9. Three KSU miscues and a block from Scott and junior outside attacker Lauren Grant (Eagan, Minn./Eastview/Cincinnati) helped BSU rattle off the next four points and gain back control of the set. From there, the Cardinals cruised to a 25-19 set victory, capped by a blast from Scott.
The tables turned early in the second set, with Kent State pulling out to a 4-1 edge. BSU would then battle back and tie the score at 9-9, and from there, the teams played to an 18-18 stalemate. Two KSU attack errors followed by kills from Benson and Scott turned the tide, however, as BSU scored seven of the final nine points to win the frame 25-20 on another Scott kill.
Ball State stepped on the accelerator early in the third frame, building an 8-3 lead, only to see Kent State fight back and eventually tie the score at 17-all. A kill from Bates would give BSU the serve, and Spadafora took the ball back and ripped a pair of aces to help the hosts pull ahead 23-17. Kent State managed to score five of the next six points, only to have Benson end the set at 25-22 with her 10th kill of the night.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Saturday at 7:30 p.m., when it hosts Ohio in a homecoming showdown at Worthen Arena.
