Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
15-17
vs. No. 3 seed Kent State
20-9
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 21 | 16 | 23 | 0 |
| Kent State | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
WVB Falls to Kent State in MAC Tournament Quarterfinals
November 21, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
ATHENS, Ohio - - The sixth-seeded Ball State women's volleyball team saw its 2015 season come to an end with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-23) setback to third-seeded Kent State in Mid-American Conference Tournament quarterfinal action Friday night at Ohio University's Convocation Center.
With the loss, the Cardinals close the 2015 season with a 15-17 overall record. The Golden Flashes improve to 20-9 with the win and advance to face second seed and tournament host Ohio in Saturday's 7:30 p.m. semifinal match. Kent State and Ohio split their regular season series and shared the 2015 MAC East Division title with 13-3 league records.
“I was really proud of the team for the way we battled all the way to the end,” Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said. “The worst possible adversity struck in the first game when we were playing so well. It kind of shell-shocked us for the first two games, which happens when you lose a player who is in many ways is the heart and soul of your team. However, I was really pleased with the way we battled back in the third game. It's a tough way to go out, but I have to give Kent State a lot of credit for playing a fantastic match tonight. They are a tough team and it's going to be hard for anyone to get past them if their defense plays as well as it did tonight.”
In what turned out to be her final match, senior middle Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) led the Cardinals with 13.5 total points, as she scored nine kills and led all players with eight total blocks (one solo and seven assists). Overall, her play at the net helped the Ball State defense post a 10.0 to 3.0 advantage in total blocks for the night. Hopkins finished her final MAC Tournament with 12 total blocks for a 1.71 block-per-set average, while adding 19 total kills.
Senior middle Amanda Raker (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian/Butler) also finished her career on a strong note, leading the Ball State attack with 10 kills and hitting .400 (10-2-20). A two-year letterwinner in basketball at Butler prior to joining the Ball State women's volleyball program, Raker finished the MAC Tournament with team-highs of 20 kills and a .400 (20-4-40) attack percentage.
In the Ball State backcourt, senior libero Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) collected eight digs versus Kent State to raise her career total to 1,250, which ties Jennifer Schilling (1995-1998) for seventh on Ball State's career chart.
Senior setter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) finished the night with 31 assists, to go along with four kills, four digs and a block assists. Spadafora concluded her career ranked sixth in program history with 2,876 career assists.
Unfortunately, it was a tough night for senior outside attacker Alex Fuelling (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont /Morehead State) who notched two kills and one dig before leaving the match early in the first set due to injury. Fuelling finished her three-year Ball State career ranked 17th in program history with 975 digs, while adding 722 kills which is just outside the top 20 on the career charts..
In her final match, senior defensive specialist Marissa Hine (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville/Belmont) logged four digs and a perfect reception percentage, going 21-for-21. She finished her two-year Ball State career with 255 digs, including a career-best 136 digs this season.
Overall, the Ball State backcourt was led by defensive specialist Lauren Schreiner (East Amherst, N.Y./Williamsville North), who finished her freshman campaign with a career-high 17 digs. Redshirt junior outside Mackenzie Kitchel (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove/Cincinnati) also turned in a solid performance on offense, adding seven kills.
Kelsey Bittinger led the Kent State attack with 16 kills, while Challen Geraghty collected a match-best 21 digs. The Golden Flashes held a .248 (45-17-113) to .119 (38-23-126) attacking edge on the night, while out-digging Ball State 54 to 42.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
