Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
10-8 (4-1MAC)
Toledo
1-17 (0-5MAC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo | 12 | 25 | 17 | 20 | 1 |
| Ball State | 25 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Strong Offense Carries Volleyball Past Toledo, 3-1
October 10, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team completed its first round through the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 3-1 (25-12, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20) victory over Toledo Thursday night at Worthen Arena.
The Cardinals (10-8 / 4-1 MAC) dominated the opening set, only to see the Rockets (1-17 / 0-5 MAC) answer back with a strong performance to win the second stanza. In a hard-fought third set, the Cardinals pulled away late, and carried the momentum over into the fourth frame to earn the 3-1 victory.
“I thought our team really stepped up when we had to tonight,” Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said. “Toledo is a very well coached team which makes you come out and earn your points. We had to do that tonight, and with the exception of game two, we stepped up when Toledo put pressure on us. I am really proud of the way our team competed when things got tough.”
In the opening set, the Ball State offense could do no wrong as it connected for a .423 (14-3-26) attack percentage in a 25-12 victory. Redshirt junior middle hitter Hayley Benson (Hilliard, Ohio/Hilliard Bradley) led the Cardinals with five kills in the frame, while the Ball State defense limited the Toledo attack to a -.034 (8-9-29) rate of success.
In the second set, which saw the Cardinals hold a 15-14 edge at the midway point, a four-point run gave the Rockets the momentum they needed to win the set 25-20. After the 10-minute intermission, Toledo build a 12-9 advantage in the third frame, only to see a kill from Benson and some strong serving from redshirt junior Alex Fuelling (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont/Morehead State) spark a 10-0 Ball State run. The Cardinals went on to win the frame 25-17, and after a 4-0 start in the fourth set, Ball State led the entire way in a 25-20 victory to cap the match.
Benson led all attackers with 16 kills, while connecting for a .536 (16-1-28) attack percentage. She also earned a match-best five total blocks. In addition to handing out 42 assists, junior setter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) was the Cardinals second-most prolific attack on the night with eight kills.
In the backcourt, junior libero Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) collected a match-high 16 digs. Fuelling would lead all players with a career-high four service aces, while notching five digs and a pair of kills.
Saige Thomas led the Toledo attack with 10 kills, while Lauren Bakaitis tallied a team-high 14 digs.
Overall, Spadafora set the Cardinals to a .235 (53-22-132) attack percentage, while the Ball State defense held the Rockets to a .106 (41-28-123) rate of success. Toledo held the edge in team blocks, 9.0-to-8.0, and team digs, 54-to-48.
After playing three consecutive home matches, the Ball State women's volleyball team returns to the road Saturday in its first cross-division match up at Buffalo. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
