Ball State University Athletics
Volleyball Hosts Ohio & Kent State This Weekend
October 16, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
►THE WEEK AHEAD: In one of this season's key matches, the Ball State women's volleyball team will host defending Mid-American Conference regular season and tournament champion Ohio Friday at 7 p.m. inside Worthen Arena ... The Bobcats enter the week tied for first in the league standings with a 6-0 MAC mark, while the Cardinals are one match behind at 5-1 ... After facing Ohio, Ball State closes the weekend Saturday at 7 p.m. when it hosts Kent State.
►FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans have a variety of ways to follow the Cardinals this weekend, starting with live streaming video with your Ball State All Access subscription ... Sports Link Radio WCRD 91.3 FM will cover the matches live and free over the airwaves and on both BallStateSports.com and WCRD.net ... Rob Connett will handle the play-by-play duties for the student-run production, with Andy Wright serving as the color analyst ... Live stats are available on BallStateSports.com ... Fans can also follow the program on twitter @BallStateWVB and @BallStateSports.
►CARDINALS ALL-TIME: The Ball State women's volleyball team enters Friday's match versus Ohio with an 837-535-2 (.610) all-time record ... The Cardinals boast a 98-46 (.681) mark under fifth-year head coach Steve Shondell, including a 50-20 (.714) ledger in MAC play.
►IN THE MAC: Ball State holds a 335-166 (.669) all-time record in Mid-American Conference matches, which ranks second among all league schools ... Western Michigan is first with a 349-152 (.697) all-time league mark, while Ohio is fifth at 273-128 (.545) and Kent State is 10th at 174-327 (.347).
►HOME SWEET HOME: The Ball State owns a 229-67 (.774) all-time record in Worthen Arena, including a 169-38 (.816) mark versus MAC opponents ... The Cardinals are 5-1 at home this season, including wins over league rivals Eastern Michigan (3-2), Central Michigan (3-1) and Toledo (3-1).
►FROM THE ROAD: Ball State's 12 straight road matches, from Sept. 5-27, marked the longest string of matches the Cardinals have played without a stop at home since joining the MAC in volleyball in 1980 ... The Cardinals played 11 consecutive matches away from home in four previous seasons since joining the league; 1982, 1989, 2003 and 2011 ... Ball State's longest single-season road swing is 19 matches in 1974 ... The Cardinals also played the final 13 matches of the 1973 season away from home, moving its total to 32 consecutive contests on the road from Nov. 16, 1973 to Oct. 24, 1974.
►VERSUS OHIO: Ball State holds a 34-15 lead in the all-time series with Ohio, including a 3-2 (25-21, 17-25, 25-22, 13-25, 15-10) win in Athens last season (Oct. 19, 2013) ... The Bobcats, however, have won 13 of the last 16 meetings ... The Cardinals hold a 16-6 lead in matches played in Muncie, including a 9-5 edge in Worthen Arena ... Ohio has won five of the last six matches played in Muncie, including a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-12) win Oct. 13, 2012 ... The Bobcats own the best winning percentage for a MAC opponent in Worthen Arena at .357 (5 of 14).
►VERSUS KENT STATE: Ball State maintains a 38-11 advantage in the all-time series versus Kent State, including a four-match winning streak ... Last season, the Cardinals secured a 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 27-25, 25-10) victory in Kent, Ohio (Oct. 18, 2013) ... Ball State maintains a 19-4 lead in matches played in Muncie, including a 12-2 edge in Worthen Arena ... KSU's last win in Muncie came Oct. 17, 2008 by a score of 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 20-18).
QUICK HITS
● Ball State enters Friday's match versus Ohio with an 11-8 (5-1 MAC) record ... The Cardinals scored a pair of league wins last week, including a Thursday home victory over Toledo (3-1) and a Saturday road win at Buffalo (3-1) ... Hayley Benson leads the squad with 208 kills and a 2.70 kills-per-set average, while Alex Fuelling averages a team-best 3.45 digs per set.
● Ohio enters Friday's match with a 13-4 (6-0 MAC) record ... Last weekend, the Bobcats scored road wins at Miami (3-2) and Bowling Green (3-0) ... All four of Ohio's losses have come to opponents who have been ranked in the top 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll at some point this season ... Kelly Lamberti leads the Bobcats with 252 kills and a 4.00 kills-per-set average, while Meredith Ashy has a team-best 4.86 digs-per-set average.
● Kent State enters the weekend with a 10-9 (2-4 MAC) record and plays at Toledo Friday before traveling to Ball State Saturday ... The Golden Flashes suffered road losses at Bowling Green (3-0) and Miami (3-0) last weekend ... Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola leads Kent State with 175 kills, while Lauren Engleman has a team-best 3.03 kills-per-set average ... Challen Geraghty averages a team-high 3.87 digs per set.
● Ball State junior middles Hayley Benson and Kelly Hopkins have combined for 155 of the Cardinals' 339 kills in league action, while attacking for a combined .414 (155-35-290) rate of success ... Benson's .465 (85-13-155) attack percentage is first in the conference in league-only matches, while Hopkins' .356 (70-22-135) mark is fifth.
● A First Team All-MAC selection last season, Hayley Benson is way ahead of her pace from 2013 which saw her finish conference play with 161 kills and a .344 attack percentage ... Over Ball State's first six league matches in 2013, Benson had just 58 kills and was hitting .308 (58-21-120) ... This season, Benson has 85 kills and is attacking for a .465 (83-13-155) rate of success through six conference matches.
● Hayley Benson has also improved her game at the net compared to the first six league matches last season, leading the team with 20 total blocks (two solo and 18 assists) in 2014 ... Over the first six league matches in 2013, Benson had 15 total blocks (one solo and 14 assists).
● Kelly Hopkins has proven to be a major factor in Ball State's 5-1 run to open league play, blasting double-digit kills in four of Ball State's six league matches ... She smashed a career-best 17 kills at Northern Illinois (Sept. 27) and opened league play with a career-best .643 (11-2-14) attack percentage at Western Michigan (Sept. 26) ... Prior to league play, Hopkins had only tallied double-digit kills in seven of her previous 46 career matches played.
● Sabrina Mangapora has provided several key plays at the net, collecting a team-best 15 solo blocks so far this season ... In the win at Western Michigan (Sept. 26), Mangapora collected a career-high five solo blocks, which are the most for a Ball State player in a match since Hayley Benson logged five versus SMU Sept. 21, 2013 ... Of her 15 solo blocks this season, eight of come in BSU's six league matches.
● Since moving back to the libero position prior to the Eastern Michigan (Oct. 3) match, junior Kati Vasalakis has dominated the Ball State backcourt, averaging 4.65 digs per set and posting a .970 (98-for-101) reception percentage ... She has collected 20-or-more digs in two of the four matches, including a career-high tying 24 versus EMU ... Prior to the switch, Vasalakis has only tallied 20-or-more digs in one other career match.
● Junior setter Jenna Spadafora enters the weekend ranked second in the MAC with an 11.28 assists-per-set average in league-only matches ... Spadafora has only handed out 50-or-more assists in three matches over her career, with two coming in the first six matches of league play this season.
● Ball State opened MAC play by posting its two best team attack percentages of the season ... At Western Michigan (Sept .26), the Cardinals connected for a season-best .290 (69-27-145) rate of success ... Ball State followed by hitting .265 (38-16-83) at Northern Illinois (Sept. 27), which is the second-best effort this season.
● Ball State's 36-34 opening set victory at IPFW (Sept. 17) marked the longest set in the 25-point rally scoring era for Ball State ... Prior to last Wednesday, the previous longest set were a pair of 32-30 set losses versus Wisconsin-Green Bay in the first-ever 25-point rally scoring match for the Cardinals Aug. 29, 2008 ... Ball State also lost a 32-30 set versus George Washington on Sept. 18, 2009.
