Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
9-11, 3-3MAC
Eastern Michigan
11-8, 3-3MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 28 | 19 | 24 | 17 | 1 |
| Eastern Michigan | 26 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 3 |
Eastern Michigan Battles Past Women?s Volleyball
October 11, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
YPSILANTI, Mich. - - For the first three sets it looked like anyone's match, but a pair of late errors in the third game took the steam out of the Ball State women's volleyball team in a 3-1 (26-28, 25-19, 26-24, 25-17) loss at Eastern Michigan Saturday night.
With the match tied at one set apiece, the Cardinals (9-11 / 3-3 Mid-American Conference) were on the verge of dropping the third set, trailing 24-22. However, a kill from senior middle Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) and a block assist by freshman middle Emily Holland (Madison, Ind./Madison) and senior setter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) evened the score at 24.
Unfortunately, a pivotal service error stopped the Ball State run and gave the Eagles (11-8 / 3-3 MAC) its third set point. EMU would not be denied in its third attempt to close the set, as a Mallory Rajewski serve found the tape and could not be controlled by the Cardinals defense ending the game at 26-24. Eastern Michigan went on to control play in the fourth set, pulling ahead 13-5 and winning 25-17 to close the match.
“Tonight was a hard-fought battle which came down to the pivotal third game,” sixth-year Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said. “We fought extremely hard and played extremely well to tie a very good Eastern Michigan team at 24, but let them off the hook with a serving error. EMU then served a net clipper that fell to the floor and seemed to take the wind out of our sails the rest of the night. We played a lot of good volleyball tonight, but we continue to be our own worst enemy by simply making too many unforced errors. Moving forward, we have to find a way reduce our unforced errors. When we do, we will become a team capable of competing with any team in the conference.”
Senior outside Alex Fuelling (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont /Morehead State) led the Ball State offense with 13 kills, while adding 13 digs for her fifth kill-dig double-double of the season. Both the 13 kills and 13 digs were her highest totals since returning from injury in the Sept. 24 match at Toledo. She also tallied a .303 (13-3-33) attack percentage in the loss, while adding two block assists and a service ace.
Freshman right side Brooklyn Goodsel (Corry, Pa./Corry Area) also put together a solid match for the Cardinals, earning her third career double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs. In addition, Goodsel served up a pair of aces and recorded a pair of block assists.
Overall, five Cardinals finished the match with double-figure digs as both teams were determined to let nothing hit the floor, leading to some of the most impressive rallies of the year. Senior libero Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) led the Ball State backcourt with 18 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Lauren Schreiner (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) added 10 for her second consecutive match in double figures.
Rounding out Ball State's top defensive contributors was Spadafora with 10 digs. The 6-foot-1 setter also dished out 41 assists for her eighth double-double of the season, while adding seven kills, a team-best .353 (7-1-17) attack percentage and three block assists.
Hopkins led the Cardinals at the net with six block assists, helping the Cardinals out-block the Eagles 9.0-to-7.0 as a team. Hopkins also chalked up seven kills, as did Holland.
For the match, the Eagles connected for a .241 (63-22-170) attack percentage which was aided by above .300 marks in both the second and fourth sets. Ball State was limited to a .185 (53-23-162) rate of success, including a .062 mark in the final frame. EMU also held a 79-to-71 advantage in total digs, including a match-high 29 from libero Corynne Smith. The Eagles Jordan Smith paced all players with 17 kills.
The Ball State women's volleyball team concludes its current four-match road swing next weekend, when it visits three-time defending MAC regular season champion Ohio Friday and Kent State Saturday. Both matches are schedule for 7 p.m. first serves.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
