Ball State University
2-0
Belmont
0-2
Volleyball Tops Belmont In Friday Night Thriller
August 29, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Playing against her former team, senior defensive specialist Marissa Hine (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville/Belmont) sparked Ball State late in both the fourth and fifth sets to help the Cardinals secure a 3-2 (25-18, 25-14, 23-25, 21-25, 15-11) victory over Belmont Friday night in the Active Ankle Challenge held inside Worthen Arena.
With the Cardinals (2-0) trailing 21-9 in the fourth set, Hine energized both the Ball State bench and Worthen Arena crowd by serving up the next nine points to help the hosts pull within three at 21-18. While the Cardinals were unable to complete the come-from-behind win in the set, the electric atmosphere created by the run gave Ball State the energy it needed in the fifth and final set.
Hine, who transferred to Ball State after playing the 2012-13 seasons with the Bruins (0-2), then came up with a pivotal defensive play late in the fifth. She was able to sneak her hand under a ball which looked to have found the floor, setting up a kill for senior Kelly Hopkins (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) to give Ball State an 11-10 lead. The Cardinals used the momentum generated from that play to end the set and match on a 5-1 run.
“We had a natural letdown after playing two really good sets to open the match,” sixth-year Ball State head coach Steve Shondell said about Friday's night contest. “Belmont came out fresh and hungry after the break and started playing the kind of volleyball they are capable of playing. We finally woke up at 20-7 in the fourth game, started to compete again and got our fight back. From that point on, we played an excellent game-and-a-half.”
After a solid performance in the opener, senior outside hitter Alex Fuelling (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont/Morehead State) once again led the Ball State offense in the nightcap with a match-high 16 kills including the match-winner. She also produced 13 digs for her second double-double of the season, the 23rd of her career.
Senior setter Jenna Spadafora (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) and senior defensive specialist Kati Vasalakis (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) also collected double-doubles in the victory, with Spadafora handing out 41 assists and collecting 14 digs, while Vasalakis earned a career-high 10 assists and a match-best 26 digs.
Redshirt freshman middle blocker Meg Starling (Hopkinsville, Ky./University Heights) had an impressive college debut versus Belmont, scoring six kills, hitting .312 (6-1-16) and tying for match-high honors with four total blocks.
Overall, the Cardinals managed to hold a .227 (59-24-154) to .135 (46-25-155) hitting advantage in the contest, while out-digging the Bruins 77 to 57.
Brie Lewis led the Belmont attack with 13 kills, while Arianna Person finished the match with 10 kills and a team-high 19 digs.
The Ball State women's volleyball team closes play in the Active Ankle Challenge Saturday at 7 p.m. when it battles New Mexico in the championship match. The Lobos finished the day at 2-0 after topping Albany 3-1 (25-10, 25-20, 26-28, 25-13) in its Friday nightcap. The Great Danes and Belmont will square off at 4 p.m. Saturday in Worthen Arena prior to the championship match.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @SteveShondell on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
