Women's Volleyball hosts Kent State and Ohio This Weekend

Friday, October 14

Muncie, Ind.

7:00 PM

Ball State University

Kent State

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Women's Volleyball hosts Kent State and Ohio This Weekend

October 11, 2016 | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes - KSU / Ohio

MATCH 21 • Ball State hosts Kent State
Friday, Oct. 14 • 7 p.m. • Muncie, Ind.
Live Stats

MATCH 22 • Ball State hosts Ohio
Saturday, Oct. 15 • 7 p.m. • Muncie, Ind.
Live Stats | ESPN3

• After playing its last three matches on the road, the Ball State women's volleyball team returns to Worthen Arena this weekend for matches versus Kent State (Friday) and Ohio (Saturday) ... Both matches are set for 7 p.m. first serves, with Saturday's being carried live on ESPN3.

• Ball State is 3-3 in matches broadcast on ESPN3 this season ... Saturday's match versus Ohio will be produced by Ball State University Media Services and feature Tyler Bradfield covering the play-by-play action and Ball State men's volleyball head coach and alumnus (1985-88) Joel Walton serving as analyst.

• Since starting the season 0-9, Ball State has been one of the hottest teams in the MAC, going 8-3 over its last 11 matches ... Only two teams have a better record over that span; MAC East Division leader Miami which has won 13 straight matches and MAC West Division leader Northern Illinois which is 9-2.

• Ball State enters the week ranked second in the league with a 353-180 (.662) all-time MAC record ... Friday's opponent Kent State is 10th at 196-337 (.368), while Saturday's opponent Ohio is fifth at 301-232 (.565) ... Western Michigan is the all-time leader in MAC wins at 365-168 (.685).

• The Cardinals hold a commanding 39-13 lead in the all-time series versus Kent State, despite losing a pair of matches to the Golden Flashes last season ... In the lone regular season meeting, Kent State scored a 3-2 (13-25, 25-13, 22-25, 27-25, 15-9) victory on its home court Oct. 17 ... The Golden Flashes also scored a 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-23) win over Ball State in MAC Tournament quarterfinal action Nov. 20 in Athens, Ohio ... However, the Cardinals hold a 20-4 advantage in matches played in Muncie, including a 13-2 edge in matches played in Worthen Arena ... Ball State has won the last three matches played in Muncie, with Kent State's last true road win in the series coming Oct. 17, 2008 by a score of 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 25-16, 20-18).

• Ball State is 8-8 all-time in matches played on Oct. 14, with its last being a win over Ohio (3-1) in 2011 ... The Cardinals and Golden Flashes will be meeting on the date for just the second time, with Ball State earning a 2-1 victory in 1978.

• While Ball State holds a 34-17 advantage in the all-time series versus Ohio, the Bobcats have made a comeback of late, winning the last two matches and 15 of the last 18 meetings overall ... The Cardinals won 26 straight matches in the series from Oct. 18, 1985 to Sept. 28, 2002, until Ohio's recent run of luck which started with an 11 match winning streak spanning Oct. 5, 2003 to Nov. 20, 2009 ... Ball State's last win in the series was 3-2 (25-21, 17-25, 25-22, 13-25, 15-10) victory Oct. 19, 2013 in Athens ... Overall, the Cardinals hold a 16-7 lead in matches played in Muncie, including a 9-6 edge in Worthen Arena ... However, Ball State has not won a home match in the series since Oct. 15, 2010.

• Ball State is 6-4 all-time in matches played on Oct. 15, with its last being a sweep of Kent State (3-0) in 2011 ... The Cardinals have played the Bobcats once on this date, the aforementioned 3-2 (25-14, 22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 15-9) win in 2010 which is Ball State's last home win in the series.

• Over the team's current 8-3 run, Ball State is averaging 13.42 kills per set and out-hitting opponents .202 to .186 ... Sophomore right side Brooklyn Goodsel leads the squad with 158 kills and a 3.59 kills-per-set average, while redshirt junior outside hitter Sabrina Mangapora is not far behind at 152 kills and 3.38 kills per set ... Each has also scored at least 20 kills in a pair matches during the run.

• Sabrina Mangapora is one of only two players in the MAC to score at least 20 kills in three matches this season … Her career-high 22 kills versus Appalachian State (Sept. 10) rank as the sixth-best single match total in the MAC this season, while her 20 kills versus Valpo (Sept. 16) and at Omaha (Sept. 2) are tied for 16th.

• In addition to being one of Ball State's top attackers over the last 11 matches, Sabrina Mangapora has produced double figure kills in all eight of the Cardinals' wins this season ... In Ball State's eight wins, Mangapora has blasted a team-high 129 kills for a 3.69 kills-per-set average.

• Brooklyn Goodsel has scored at least 20 kills in two matches this season, making her one of only four MAC players to accomplish the task twice, joining teammate Sabrina Mangapora and Jaime Kosiorek and Mallory Salis of Ohio ... Goodsel scored 20 kills in Ball State's MAC-opening win over Central Michigan (Sept. 23), while producing a career-high 21 kills versus Toledo (Sept. 29).

• Brooklyn Goodsel has been a key component to the Cardinals' 4-2 start in MAC play, ranking first on the team and second in the league with a 4.04 kills-per-set average in conference play ... Goodsel has smashed double figure kills in five of Ball State's six league matches and has also played a key role on defense, collecting three of her five double-doubles this season against MAC foes ... She has also produced a .971 reception percentage in league play, with just one reception error in 35 attempts.

• Freshman libero Kate Avila has been a key defensive asset for the Cardinals over the last 11 matches, collecting 213 digs for a team-best 4.73 digs-per-set average ... She recorded a career-high 36 digs in Ball State's win over Appalachian State (Sept. 10) which ties as the 19th-best single match total in program history ... It was the best individual effort in a match for a Ball State player since Oct. 29, 2010 when then-senior Alyssa Rio collected a career-high 44 digs versus Western Michigan.

• Kate Avila continues to be one of the top defenders in the MAC, ranking sixth in the conference with a 4.07 digs-per-set average this season ... Avila's 330 total digs rank fourth in the conference, while her 36 dig effort versus Appalachian State (Sept. 10) ranks as the fourth-best single match performance in the MAC this season ... Her 32 digs versus Valparaiso (Sept. 16) rank as the eighth-best single match performance and makes her one of only two MAC players to collect 30-or-more digs in multiple matches this season.

• Fellow freshman defensive specialist Hannah Smith has also made a huge impact on defense over the last 11 matches, ranking second on the team in both digs (117) and digs-per-set average (2.60) ... She has tallied double-digit digs in six of Ball State's eight wins, including a career-high 18 vs. Appalachian State (Sept. 10) ... She has scored a perfect reception percentage in nine of the last 11 matches and is second among Ball State's primary passers with a .959 (187-for-195) reception percentage for the year.

• Ball State's defense came up huge in the win over Appalachian State (Sept. 10), finishing the night with 110 digs which ties as the 13th-best single match performance in program history ... It was also the most digs in a match for Ball State since the team collected 123 versus Toledo on Sept. 28, 2006 ... In addition, the Cardinals held a +28 advantage in team digs with Appalachian State earning just 82 ... It was the biggest digs advantage for the Cardinals in a match in the rally scoring era (2001-present), with the previous best being 26 twice versus Eastern Michigan in 2008.

• Ball State freshman setter Amber Seaman opened her collegiate career with three consecutive assist/dig double-doubles at the Fort Wayne Invitational ... Her best match came versus host Fort Wayne (Aug. 27), when she logged 45 assists and career-highs of 22 digs and four service aces ... The last time a Ball State setter opened the season with three consecutive double-doubles was the 2013 season when Jackie Seidel (2010-13) accomplished the task versus Gardner Webb (Aug. 24), VCU (Aug. 25) and Illinois State (Aug. 25) ... Seaman currently has 10 assist/dig double-doubles on the season.

• Amber Seaman's 22 digs at Fort Wayne (Aug. 27) are the most for a Ball State setter in a match in the rally scoring era (2001-present) ... The previous mark was 21 set by Jackie Seidel (2010-13) versus Toledo on Oct. 3, 2013 ... In addition, the 22 digs are the most for a Ball State setter since Emily Sallee (1997-2000) recorded 26 at Bowling Green on Sept. 22, 2000, which is tied as the program record for digs by a setter ... Wendy Carter (1993-96) also tallied 26 digs versus Bowling Green on Nov. 18, 1994.

• Ball State picked up its first ESPN3 victory of the season when it downed in-state rival Valparaiso 3-1 (25-23, 25-9, 21-25, 25-17) in its second match of the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge on Sept. 16 ... The 25-9 second set victory ties as the seventh-largest set victory for the Cardinals in the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present) ... Ball State has won six sets by a score of 25-8 since 2008, with three coming in MAC play.