Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
15-16
vs. No. 7 seed Buffalo
7-22
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | 19 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 1 |
| Ball State | 25 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Team Effort Lifts WVB to 3-1 Win Over Buffalo
November 20, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
ATHENS, Ohio - - With four players recording double-digit kills and five earning double-figure digs, Ball State women's volleyball used a complete team effort to open the 2015 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-14, 25-13) victory over Buffalo Thursday night at Ohio University's Convocation Center.
With the win, the sixth-seeded Cardinals improve to 15-16 on the year and advance to Friday's 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal match where it will battle MAC East Division Co-Champion and third-seeded Kent State (19-9). The seventh-seeded Bulls end their 2015 campaign with a 7-22 overall record.
“Any win in the post season is a big win, especially that first win,” sixth-year Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said. “Buffalo played really well tonight, and in my eyes, the match was a lot closer than the scores indicated. Blair has done a great job with their program in her first year, and I want to compliment them on a great performance tonight. We needed to come out and get this win under our belts to get confidence that we can win in the tournament. I felt like we played really well tonight, with the exception of the game two lead we gave away. I thought we were on top of our game, as we served, passed and played great defense tonight. We also had some strong offensive performances and put together a solid team effort. It was a great way to start the tournament, but we know we have a war on our hands tomorrow night with an outstanding Kent State team.”
In a match filled with great performances, sophomore right side Jessica Lindsey (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) paved the way for the Ball State offense with a career-high tying 12 kills, including back-to-back markers late in the fourth set to give the Cardinals a 23-12 edge. She also hit .478 (12-1-23) and added three blocks (one solo and two assists) and a pair of digs.
“We got a tremendous performance, probably a career performance, from Jessica Lindsey,” Shondell added. “She played the match of her life tonight. There is no better time to do that than in the conference tournament. It was a great way for her to make her tournament debut as a right side attacker.”
At the net, senior middle Amanda Raker (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian/Butler) led the Ball State defense with a career-high tying seven total blocks (one solo and six assists), while producing 10 kills and hitting for a .400 (10-2-20) rate of success. It was Raker's second strong effort of the season versus the Bulls, as she tallied nine kills and hit .727 (9-1-11) in the Oct. 31 match held in Worthen Arena.
“Tonight's win was huge,” Raker said following the victory. “Especially since the last two years we have come out and lost in the first round. It's awesome for us to get that monkey off our back. Overall, I think we stayed consistent tonight. We did not perform well in the second game, and in the past, we have let that get us down. Tonight, we came back with calm attitudes and I think that is what helped us. If we can just stay consistent, and stay together as a team, that will help us through this tournament.”
In addition to the double figure kill totals from Lindsey and Raker, redshirt junior outside Mackenzie Kitchel (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove/Cincinnati) and senior middle Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) finished the contest with 10 kills apiece. Kitchel came up with some big kills early in the third set to help steady the Ball State offense after the second-set letdown, while Hopkins led the Cardinals in the opening set with four kills and three block assists.
In the backcourt, senior libero Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) led the Cardinals with 17 digs, while freshman defensive specialist Lauren Schreiner (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North) added 15. Senior outside attacker Alex Fuelling (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont /Morehead State) also played well in the backcourt, adding 14 digs to go along with her five kills, while senior defensive specialist Marissa Hine (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville/Belmont) finished the night with 10 digs.
Senior setter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) , who earlier in the day was named First Team All-MAC for the second straight season, guided the Ball State offense to a .189 (55-24-164) attack percentage, by dishing out 45 assists. She also collected 10 digs for her team-leading 12th double-double of the season.
Megan Lipski led the Buffalo attack with 11 kills, while Niki Bozinoski recorded a match-high 20 digs for the Bulls. Overall, the Ball State defense limited the Buffalo attack to a .060 (38-29-150) attack percentage, while holding a 77-76 edge in total digs and an 11.0-9.0 advantage in team blocks.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
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