Ball State University
4-611-12; MAC
Miami
3-78-15; MAC
Women?s Volleyball Drops 3-2 Thriller At Miami
October 21, 2012 | Women's Volleyball
OXFORD, Ohio - Despite a career-high 33 digs from junior libero Catie Fredrich (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls), the Ball State women's volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 (25-23, 24-26, 18-25, 27-25, 15-11) loss to Miami Saturday afternoon at Millett Hall.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 11-12 overall and to 4-6 in Mid-American Conference action. The RedHawks pick up their third consecutive league victory, improving to 8-15 (3-7 MAC).
"Tonight was a match where we really had to work hard to overcome the emotions from last night," said Ball State head coach Steve Shondell. "We came out flat to start, and despite playing flat, put ourselves in a position to win. Miami just out-competed us at the end of the last two sets. Miami is one of the hottest teams in the league right now, winning its last three matches, and they just out-fought us tonight."
Despite the loss, junior setter Jacqui Seidel (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East) also had a career-night, ended the match with career-highs of 61 assists and 17 digs for her 12th double-double of the season.
Offensively, senior outside hitter Kara Bates (Bradley, Ill./Bradley Bourbonnais Community/Maryland) led the Ball State attack with 18 kills, while adding 13 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.
Senior middle hitter Lisa Scott (McLean, Va./Langley/Maryland) followed with 17 kills, one shy of her career high, while adding four blocks (two solo and two assists).
Freshman setter/opposite hitter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carrol) recorded her first career double-double, adding 10 kills and a career-high 10 digs. She also posted an ace and a block assist.
Overall, Seidel guided the Ball State offense to a .209 (68-31-177) hitting effort for the match, while helping the BSU defense out-dig the RedHawks 84-67.
The BSU defense held Miami to a .206 (61-24-180) hitting mark for the night.
Miami was led offensively by Meg Riley's 20 kills, while Sarah Chaney added 14 and Jenny Ingle collected 11. Amy Kendall and Madison Hardy tied for team-high honors with 17 digs apiece.
Redshirt freshman outside hitter Hayley Benson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) opened the match with a thunderous kill for the Cardinals, but that did not intimidate the RedHawks as they answered with nine of the next 12 points to force a BSU timeout at 9-4. Ball State followed with the next two points, only to see Miami surge ahead 17-11.
A kill and solo block from junior middle hitter Mindy Marx (Grand Haven, Mich./Grand Haven) helped BSU force a Miami timeout at the 17-14 mark, and the Cardinals maintained the momentum with help from another Marx kill and an ace from Seidel to pull ahead 18-17. Following its second timeout, the RedHawks offense ended the BSU rally with a kill, but a pair of Bates blasts helped the Cardinals pull ahead 21-19.
Miami answered with three straight kills to reclaim a slim one-point edge at 22-21 and force the Cardinals' second break. The RedHawks would go on to close out the set at 25-23 thanks to a kill from Riley.
With BSU trailing 3-1 in the second set, three kills and a solo block from Scott helped Ball State move ahead 5-4. Unfortunately, the RedHawks were able to pull ahead 12-8 thanks in part to four BSU errors. The Cardinals would not go down, however, rallying behind three more kills from Scott to take a 21-20 lead.
The RedHawks responded with four of the next five points to reach set-point at 24-22, only to have kills from Scott and junior outside hitter Lauren Grant (Eagan, Minn./Eastview/Cincinnati) extend the set. A Miami attack error on the next rally gave BSU set-point, while a kill from redshirt freshman Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) completed the Ball State comeback at 26-24.
The teams battled to a 9-9 tie to open the third frame, before three kills from Scott and a pair of markers from Spadafora helped the Cardinals force a Miami timeout at 15-11. Scott continued to set the tone with another kill after the Miami break, while a Hopkins solo block gave BSU an 18-12 edge. From there, the Cardinals cruised to a 25-18 set victory with Bates providing the frame-winning kill.
In a hotly contest fourth set, the combatants battled to a 12-12 stalemate before a three-point BSU run capped by a Spadafora kill gave the guests a 15-12 edge. Another Spadafora marker led to Miami's first timeout of the frame at the 17-14 mark. The RedHawks followed with the next two points, and eventually evened the score at 19-19.
After the Cardinals' first 75 second break, back-to-back kills from Riley gave the hosts a 21-19 edge and forced BSU's second timeout. Two Miami errors and a kill from Bates shifted the momentum back to Ball State and led to Miami's second timeout at with BSU ahead 22-21.
Two more kills from Riley would help Miami rally back and reach set point, only to have kills from Scott and Grant give Ball State match-point at 25-24. Unfortunately, Riley struck again with a kill and an ace to reverse the momentum, while a BSU attack error allowed the RedHawks to win the fourth set 27-25.
Miami carried over the momentum in the fifth frame, scoring the first three points and forcing a quick Ball State timeout. Kills from Scott and Bates helped BSU rally back and tie the score at 3-3, while another Scott blast through the block gave BSU a 7-5 edge.
A kill from Grant gave Ball State an 8-6 advantage at the court switch, but Miami tallied the next four points to move ahead 10-8 and force BSU's second timeout of the frame. The RedHawks extended their lead to 12-8 with the next two points, and went on to win the set 15-11 on Riley's 20th kill of the night.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Thursday, when it revisits the state of Ohio for a 7 p.m. showdown versus its Mid-American Conference travel partner Toledo.
