Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
13-13 (7-5MAC)
Buffalo
6-18 (5-7MAC)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 17 | 20 | 19 | 0 |
| Ball State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
WVB Tops Buffalo in Battle of MAC?s Hottest Teams
November 01, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - In a battle of the Mid-American Conference's hottest teams, both entering the night on three-match winning streaks, the Ball State women's volleyball team turned in another dominating performance in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-19) sweep of Buffalo Saturday night in Worthen Arena.
With the win, the Cardinals (13-13, 7-5 MAC) concluded their current four-match home stand with perfect 4-0 record, with all four wins coming via the sweep. The last time Ball State earned four consecutive three-set victories was Sept. 14 – Sept. 20, 2013.
“Three weeks ago, Buffalo and Ball State had two of the longest losing streaks in the conference,” sixth-year Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said. “Who would have thought three weeks later we would both come in with the longest winning streaks. It just shows how competitive this league is, and how things can change overnight. We knew it was going to be a really good match, with four-time national champion and two-time First-Team All-American Blair Brown Lipsitz coaching the Bulls. She is bringing a positive, winning attitude to their program. They are very athletic and talented, and a very up-and-coming team. For us to sweep them was a real accomplishment tonight.”
For the second straight outing, the Cardinals were led by senior middle Amanda Raker (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian/Butler), who tallied nine kills and hit .727 (9-1-11) for the match. In Thursday's win over Toledo, Raker connected for a perfect 1.000 (9-0-9) attack percentage, allowing her to end the week hitting at a .850 (18-1-20) clip.
“Amanda had an unbelievable two matches this weekend,” Shondell said about the play of his senior middle. “I am so proud of her, because she has stayed the course this year. Earlier this season, we had her in a spark plug role, kind of like a sixth man in basketball. We decided to go back to our seniors down the stretch, and Amanda has risen to the occasion. She has played incredible volleyball the past two weeks.”
In the opening set, the teams played to a 9-9 stalemate, before a kill from Cassie Shado gave the Bulls (6-18, 5-7 MAC) a 10-9 advantage. It would turn out to be Buffalo's last lead of the set, as three straight UB attack errors gave the momentum to the Cardinals. Ball State went on to claim a 22-12 advantage, before closing the frame at 25-17 on another Buffalo miscue.
The teams battled to an 18-18 stalemate in the second set, before a kill from sophomore opposite Jessica Lindsey (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) and three straight kills from senior setter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) put the hosts ahead by four. A kill from senior middle Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) gave the Cardinals set point, at 24-20, while another Buffalo attack error ended the frame at 25-20.
Buffalo held an early 4-3 lead early in the third set, before back-to-back kills from Raker and Lindsey sparked a five-point Ball State run. The Cardinals never looked back from there, as back-to-back kills from senior outside attacker Alex Fuelling (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont /Morehead State) gave Ball State match-point, at 24-18. Two rallies later, Spadafora's seventh kill of the night ended the set, at 25-19, and the match, at 3-0, in favor of the Cardinals.
Ball State's Fuelling paced all players with 10 kills, while senior libero Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) earned a team-high 12 digs. Spadafora led the Ball State offense to a .241 (44-17-112) attack percentage, dishing out 34 assists, while adding nine digs, seven kills and a .636 (7-0-11) attack percentage of her own. Also having a strong match for the Cardinals was Hopkins, who tallied eight kills and a match-high four total blocks (one solo and three assists.).
Overall, the Ball State defense limited the Bulls attack to a .038 (28-24-105) attack percentage, including a -.189 (4-11-37) effort in the opening set. Valisha Watkins led the Buffalo offense with nine kills, while Tessa Ooyama collected a match-high 18 digs.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to the road next weekend, when it travels to Western Michigan Friday and league co-leader Northern Illinois Saturday. Friday's match at WMU will start at 7 p.m., while Saturday's contest at NIU is set for a 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT first serve.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
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