Ball State University Athletics
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Volleyball Hosts Defending MAC Champions This Weekend
October 23, 2019 | Women's Volleyball
Match 21 - Ball State (11-9; 5-3 MAC) hosts Miami (11-8; 6-2 MAC)
Friday, Oct. 25 - 7 p.m. (Muncie, Ind. / Worthen Arena)
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateWVB)
PROMOTIONS:
#ChirpChirpFriday Ticket Deal - FREE YOUTH ADMISSION
Free youth admission (13-and-under; up to two tickets) with an adult ticket purchase. Fans may purchase in advance via phone (888-BSU-TICKET) or in-person on match night.
Match 22 - Ball State (11-9; 5-3 MAC) hosts Bowling Green (11-9; 5-3 MAC)
Saturday, Oct. 26 - 7 p.m. (Muncie, Ind. / Worthen Arena)
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateWVB)
PROMOTIONS:
FREE ADMISSION W/FOOTBALL TICKET STUB
Ball State women's volleyball fans can receive FREE ADMISSION with a game ticket from the football game vs. Ohio earlier in the day. Simply bring your ticket (stub, print out or digital) to the gates at Worthen Arena for free admission.
DIG PINK NIGHT
The Cardinals will wear pink warm-ups, socks and shoelaces to help promote the fight against breast cancer. Fans can make an impact in the battle by donating to the cause BY CLICKING HERE. All funds raised go to the Side-Out Foundation and will be used towards a clinical trial specifically for patients with stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.
• THE WEEK AHEAD: The Ball State women's volleyball program opens a four-match Mid-American Conference homestand Friday with a scheduled 7 p.m. first serve versus three-time defending MAC regular season champion Miami ... The Cardinals also welcome 2018 MAC regular season co-champion Bowling Green for a 7 p.m. first serve Saturday.
• CHIRP OR TREAT: Join Ball State Athletics for the first-ever Halloween "Chirp or Treat" Spooktacular, a FREE event for the entire community at the Oct. 31 women's volleyball match versus Toledo ... Starting at 6 p.m., Ball State fans are invited to dress in their Halloween best to trick or treat on the Worthen Arena concourse (please note props & masks are prohibited for fans age 18+) ... Student-athletes from a majority of Ball State's 19 athletic programs will be on hand to pass out candy and play games with fans of all ages thanks to the Ball State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee ... Fans are then encouraged to help haunt Worthen Arena starting at 7 p.m. when the Cardinals battle the Rockets ... Fans can receive FREE TICKETS to the match by visiting https://www.BallStateSports.com/Halloween, calling the Ball State Athletics ticket office at 888.BSU.TICKETS / 765.285.1474 or by registering at the ticket window on match night.
• DIG PINK NIGHT: Ball State women's volleyball will host its annual Dig Pink Night on Saturday, Oct. 26 when Bowling Green visits Worthen Arena for a 7 p.m. first serve ... The Cardinals will wear pink warm-ups, socks and shoelaces to help promote the fight against breast cancer ... Fans can make an impact in the battle by donating to the cause at: https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/16469#/ ... All funds raised for Side-Out go toward a clinical trial specifically for patients with stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.
• BALL STATE ON ESPN: Friday's match versus Miami will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with the help of Ball State Sports Link ... So far this season, the Cardinals have had seven matches streamed live on ESPN platforms (ESPN3 or ESPN+), going 4-3 in those matches.
• MORE WAYS TO FOLLOW: Fans can follow along with live stats for both matches ... Another great way to follow the Cardinals this season is on social media ... For in-match updates, pre-match features, post-match stories, videos and photos, fans can follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat @BallStateWVB.
• SCOUTING MIAMI: The RedHawks enter Friday's match with an 11-8 (6-2 MAC) overall record ... Currently second in the MAC East Division, Miami handed MAC West Division leader Central Michigan its first league loss of the season in a five-set thriller last Sunday ... Led in part by junior setter Morgan Seaman, the younger sister of Ball State senior setter Amber Seaman, the RedHawks rank second in the MAC with a 12.80 kills-per-set average, while its .219 team attack percentage is fourth ... Miami is also second in opponent hitting percentage (.156) and is limiting its opposition to a league-low 11.47 kills per set ... Individually, Avarie Powell is sixth in the MAC with a .329 attack percentage, while Morgan Seaman and Louise Comerford have combined to average 10.86 assists per set running Miami's 6-2 offense ... Gabby Harper leads a balanced offense with a .281 kills-per-set average and is one of three RedHawks averaging better than 3.00 digs per set.
• SERIES VS. MIAMI: While the RedHawks have won the last four matches between the two programs, including a 3-2 (22-25, 25-27, 25-23, 26-24, 15-5) victory last season in the semifinals of the MAC Volleyball Championships, the Cardinals hold a 43-37 edge in the all-time series ... Ball State also maintains a 22-14 advantage in matches played in Muncie, including a 14-7 record in Worthen Arena ... BSU's last win in the series was a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-21) victory on its homecourt Oct. 23, 2015.
• SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons enter the weekend with an 11-9 (5-3 MAC) overall record ... BGSU rebounded from a 3-0 loss to Central Michigan last Friday with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Eastern Michigan last Saturday ... Bowling Green enters the week ranked third in the MAC with a .220 attack percentage, but is ninth at 12.75 kills per set ... Defensively, the Falcons are second in the MAC with a 17.91 digs-per-set average and are fifth in opponents hitting percentage at .200 ... BGSU has a pair of players ranked in the top 10 in kills per set, with Petra Indrova in sixth (3.27) and Katelyn Meyer in 8th (3.20) ... On defense, Katie Kidwell is second in the league in blocks per set (1.13) and Julia Walz is second in digs per set (5.44).
• SERIES VS. BOWLING GREEN: Ball State holds a 42-17-1 advantage in the all-time series versus Bowling Green including five straight wins ... In fact, the Cardinals have won eight of the last nine meetings with BGSU ... BSU holds an 18-9 advantage in matches played in Muncie, including a 15-4 mark in Worthen Arena ... The Falcons' last win in the series, however, was a 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 25-19) victory in Muncie on Oct. 23, 2013.
BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL QUICK HITS
• Ball State boasts a 923-605-2 (.604) all-time record in women's volleyball in its 48th season of play ... The Cardinals have won nine MAC West Division Championships, eight MAC Regular Season Championships, six MAC Tournament Championships, made eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and earned one bid into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
• Ball State enters Friday's match tied with Western Michigan for the best all-time Mid-American Conference record at 386-197 (.662) ... The Cardinals are 5-3 in MAC play this season, while the Broncos are 2-6 ... Friday's opponent Miami is third all-time at 369-214 (.633), while Saturday's opponent Bowling Green is sixth at 319-264 (.547).
• With home wins over Northern Illinois (Oct. 4) and Western Michigan (Oct. 5), Ball State improved to 273-85 (.763) all-time in Worthen Arena, including a 197-49 (.801) mark versus MAC foes ... The Cardinals have won 12 straight MAC matches at home dating back to the 2017 season ... Ball State has a ways to go, however, to match its longest MAC winning streak in Worthen Arena which was 57 matches from Nov. 18, 1997 to Sept. 27, 2003 ... The streak included the Cardinals winning both the 1999 and 2002 MAC Tournaments on its home court.
• Ball State senior setter Amber Seaman is one of 30 candidates nationally for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate volleyball ... To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition ... An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
• Amber Seaman, the reigning MAC Setter of the Year, has already established herself as one of the top setters in program history ... She enters Friday's match versus Miami ranked fifth on Ball State's career charts with 3,844 assists ... Seaman, who also ranks sixth with a 10.01 career assist-per-set average, is currently on pace to become only the fifth Cardinal to hand out over 4,000 career assists.
• Amber Seaman has also gotten things done from behind the service line over her career, ranking sixth in program history with 135 aces ... Seaman, who served up 51 aces last season, joins Emily Sallee (1997-2000) and Brittany McGinnis (2008-11) as the only three players to reach 3,000 career assists and 100 career aces in a Ball State uniform.
• After leading the Ball State offense with a 4.17 kills-per-set average and hitting an impressive .269 (25-4-78) in matches at Ohio (Oct. 18) and Kent State (Oct. 19) last weekend, freshman outside attacker Natalie Risi was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week ... A first-time MAC weekly award winner, Risi was also solid on defense, tying for second on the squad with a 3.33 digs-per-set average ... She recorded 11 kills and was credited with seven digs versus the Bobcats, then scored her fourth double-double of the season with team-highs of 14 kills and 13 digs against the Golden Flashes.
• One of only two players to see action in all 77 sets for the Cardinals this season, Natalie Risi leads the Ball State offense with 208 kills this season and is third on the team with 211 digs ... She has smashed double-figure kills in a team-high 11 matches, including six of the last seven ... Her 17 kills in the three-set win over Northern Illinois (Oct. 4) not only tied her career high, but are also the third-most in a three-set match in the league this season.
• Since making her collegiate debut at then-No. 18 Purdue, freshman opposite Allison Hamaker has been a mainstay in the Ball State rotation, leading the team with 197 kills and a 2.90 kills-per-set average over the last 18 matches ... Her .258 (197-69-497) attack percentage is third among the team's attackers during the span, while she has also collected 43 digs and 22 total blocks ... She has also earned a pair of MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 23 & Oct. 7).
• Sydnee VanBeek enters the weekend ranked sixth in the MAC with a 1.05 blocks-per-set average ... She has accumulated 61 total blocks this season, including 14 solo blocks which are tied for sixth in the league ... VanBeek enters the week ranked 15th in program history with 297 total blocks ... In addition, her 246 career block assists are 14th on Ball State's all-time charts, while her 51 career solo blocks are one shy of breaking into the top 20.
• Outside attacker Natalie Mitchem joined elite company in the Aug. 30 match versus USF, becoming only the fourth Ball State player in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to register 20-or-more kills in a match as a freshman ... The last player to accomplish the feat was Julie Breivogel (2006-09) with 24 kills versus Toledo on Sept. 28, 2006 ... Before that, it was Kelly Cochran (2003-06) on Nov. 7, 2003 with 20 kills at Toledo ... Ball State's all-time career kills leader Sarah Obras (2002-05) smashed 20-or-more kills in nine matches her freshman season (2002) on her way to 1,975 career kills.
• Recognized by PrepVolleyball.com as one of the top 55 recruiting classes in the nation, earning "Highest Honorable Mention" accolades, Ball State's 2019 freshman class did something no other class in program history has accomplished in the Sept. 6 win over Grand Canyon ... Five members of the class smashed double digit kills, marking the first time five members of the same class have accomplished the feat in program history ... Outside Natalie Risi led the way with a career-high 17 kills, while opposite Allison Hamaker was right behind with a 16 ... Outside Natalie Mitchem collected 14 kills, while middles Marie Plitt and MyKel Ivy finished the night with career highs of 11 and 10, respectively.
• Including redshirt freshman Esther Grussing, Ball State's freshmen have accounted for 77.4 percent of the team's kills (791 of 1022), 60.5 percent of the team's digs (758 of 1253), 59.7 percent of the team's blocks (123 of 206), 58.8 percent of the team's aces (57 of 97) and 37.1 percent of the team's assists (351 of 947) this season.
• With double-figure digs at Ohio (Oct. 18), senior libero Kate Avila has now collected 10-or-more digs in a program-record 105 career matches ... The previous record was 101 set by Stephanie Keller (2001-04) and later tied by Catie Fredrich (2010-13) ... In addition, Avila has collected 20-or-more digs in 41 career matches, which ranks fourth in program history ... The program record is 49 by Alyssa Rio (2007-2010).
• Kate Avila has played all 441 sets over her collegiate career, including the last 437 as Ball State's libero ... Only 11 players in program history have played in more sets than Avila, who enters Friday's match versus Miami with 1,986 career digs to rank third in program history ... In addition, Avila's 4.50 career digs-per-set average is fourth on BSU's all-time list.
• With 1,986 career digs entering the week, Kate Avila has an outside chance at becoming the program's all-time career digs leader by the end of the season ... She needs just 287 more digs to pass the current record of 2,273 ... Averaging 4.09 digs per set this season, Avila would need to play in 71 more sets to pass the total ... Interestingly enough, she has the old record holder to thank for her defensive prowess as Stephanie Keller (2001-04) was Avila's high school coach at Yorktown.
• Freshman defensive specialist Maggie Huber has collected double-digit digs in a team-high 15 matches this season, including each of the last seven contests ... She ranks second on the team with 217 digs and a 2.86 digs-per-set average.
Friday, Oct. 25 - 7 p.m. (Muncie, Ind. / Worthen Arena)
ESPN+ | Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateWVB)
PROMOTIONS:
#ChirpChirpFriday Ticket Deal - FREE YOUTH ADMISSION
Free youth admission (13-and-under; up to two tickets) with an adult ticket purchase. Fans may purchase in advance via phone (888-BSU-TICKET) or in-person on match night.
Match 22 - Ball State (11-9; 5-3 MAC) hosts Bowling Green (11-9; 5-3 MAC)
Saturday, Oct. 26 - 7 p.m. (Muncie, Ind. / Worthen Arena)
Live Stats | Social Media (@BallStateWVB)
PROMOTIONS:
FREE ADMISSION W/FOOTBALL TICKET STUB
Ball State women's volleyball fans can receive FREE ADMISSION with a game ticket from the football game vs. Ohio earlier in the day. Simply bring your ticket (stub, print out or digital) to the gates at Worthen Arena for free admission.
DIG PINK NIGHT
The Cardinals will wear pink warm-ups, socks and shoelaces to help promote the fight against breast cancer. Fans can make an impact in the battle by donating to the cause BY CLICKING HERE. All funds raised go to the Side-Out Foundation and will be used towards a clinical trial specifically for patients with stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.
• THE WEEK AHEAD: The Ball State women's volleyball program opens a four-match Mid-American Conference homestand Friday with a scheduled 7 p.m. first serve versus three-time defending MAC regular season champion Miami ... The Cardinals also welcome 2018 MAC regular season co-champion Bowling Green for a 7 p.m. first serve Saturday.
• CHIRP OR TREAT: Join Ball State Athletics for the first-ever Halloween "Chirp or Treat" Spooktacular, a FREE event for the entire community at the Oct. 31 women's volleyball match versus Toledo ... Starting at 6 p.m., Ball State fans are invited to dress in their Halloween best to trick or treat on the Worthen Arena concourse (please note props & masks are prohibited for fans age 18+) ... Student-athletes from a majority of Ball State's 19 athletic programs will be on hand to pass out candy and play games with fans of all ages thanks to the Ball State Student-Athlete Advisory Committee ... Fans are then encouraged to help haunt Worthen Arena starting at 7 p.m. when the Cardinals battle the Rockets ... Fans can receive FREE TICKETS to the match by visiting https://www.BallStateSports.com/Halloween, calling the Ball State Athletics ticket office at 888.BSU.TICKETS / 765.285.1474 or by registering at the ticket window on match night.
• DIG PINK NIGHT: Ball State women's volleyball will host its annual Dig Pink Night on Saturday, Oct. 26 when Bowling Green visits Worthen Arena for a 7 p.m. first serve ... The Cardinals will wear pink warm-ups, socks and shoelaces to help promote the fight against breast cancer ... Fans can make an impact in the battle by donating to the cause at: https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/16469#/ ... All funds raised for Side-Out go toward a clinical trial specifically for patients with stage 4 breast cancer, the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.
• BALL STATE ON ESPN: Friday's match versus Miami will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with the help of Ball State Sports Link ... So far this season, the Cardinals have had seven matches streamed live on ESPN platforms (ESPN3 or ESPN+), going 4-3 in those matches.
• MORE WAYS TO FOLLOW: Fans can follow along with live stats for both matches ... Another great way to follow the Cardinals this season is on social media ... For in-match updates, pre-match features, post-match stories, videos and photos, fans can follow the team on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat @BallStateWVB.
• SCOUTING MIAMI: The RedHawks enter Friday's match with an 11-8 (6-2 MAC) overall record ... Currently second in the MAC East Division, Miami handed MAC West Division leader Central Michigan its first league loss of the season in a five-set thriller last Sunday ... Led in part by junior setter Morgan Seaman, the younger sister of Ball State senior setter Amber Seaman, the RedHawks rank second in the MAC with a 12.80 kills-per-set average, while its .219 team attack percentage is fourth ... Miami is also second in opponent hitting percentage (.156) and is limiting its opposition to a league-low 11.47 kills per set ... Individually, Avarie Powell is sixth in the MAC with a .329 attack percentage, while Morgan Seaman and Louise Comerford have combined to average 10.86 assists per set running Miami's 6-2 offense ... Gabby Harper leads a balanced offense with a .281 kills-per-set average and is one of three RedHawks averaging better than 3.00 digs per set.
• SERIES VS. MIAMI: While the RedHawks have won the last four matches between the two programs, including a 3-2 (22-25, 25-27, 25-23, 26-24, 15-5) victory last season in the semifinals of the MAC Volleyball Championships, the Cardinals hold a 43-37 edge in the all-time series ... Ball State also maintains a 22-14 advantage in matches played in Muncie, including a 14-7 record in Worthen Arena ... BSU's last win in the series was a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-21) victory on its homecourt Oct. 23, 2015.
• SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons enter the weekend with an 11-9 (5-3 MAC) overall record ... BGSU rebounded from a 3-0 loss to Central Michigan last Friday with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Eastern Michigan last Saturday ... Bowling Green enters the week ranked third in the MAC with a .220 attack percentage, but is ninth at 12.75 kills per set ... Defensively, the Falcons are second in the MAC with a 17.91 digs-per-set average and are fifth in opponents hitting percentage at .200 ... BGSU has a pair of players ranked in the top 10 in kills per set, with Petra Indrova in sixth (3.27) and Katelyn Meyer in 8th (3.20) ... On defense, Katie Kidwell is second in the league in blocks per set (1.13) and Julia Walz is second in digs per set (5.44).
• SERIES VS. BOWLING GREEN: Ball State holds a 42-17-1 advantage in the all-time series versus Bowling Green including five straight wins ... In fact, the Cardinals have won eight of the last nine meetings with BGSU ... BSU holds an 18-9 advantage in matches played in Muncie, including a 15-4 mark in Worthen Arena ... The Falcons' last win in the series, however, was a 3-1 (25-23, 25-23, 14-25, 25-19) victory in Muncie on Oct. 23, 2013.
BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL QUICK HITS
• Ball State boasts a 923-605-2 (.604) all-time record in women's volleyball in its 48th season of play ... The Cardinals have won nine MAC West Division Championships, eight MAC Regular Season Championships, six MAC Tournament Championships, made eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and earned one bid into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
• Ball State enters Friday's match tied with Western Michigan for the best all-time Mid-American Conference record at 386-197 (.662) ... The Cardinals are 5-3 in MAC play this season, while the Broncos are 2-6 ... Friday's opponent Miami is third all-time at 369-214 (.633), while Saturday's opponent Bowling Green is sixth at 319-264 (.547).
• With home wins over Northern Illinois (Oct. 4) and Western Michigan (Oct. 5), Ball State improved to 273-85 (.763) all-time in Worthen Arena, including a 197-49 (.801) mark versus MAC foes ... The Cardinals have won 12 straight MAC matches at home dating back to the 2017 season ... Ball State has a ways to go, however, to match its longest MAC winning streak in Worthen Arena which was 57 matches from Nov. 18, 1997 to Sept. 27, 2003 ... The streak included the Cardinals winning both the 1999 and 2002 MAC Tournaments on its home court.
• Ball State senior setter Amber Seaman is one of 30 candidates nationally for the 2019 Senior CLASS Award in collegiate volleyball ... To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition ... An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
• Amber Seaman, the reigning MAC Setter of the Year, has already established herself as one of the top setters in program history ... She enters Friday's match versus Miami ranked fifth on Ball State's career charts with 3,844 assists ... Seaman, who also ranks sixth with a 10.01 career assist-per-set average, is currently on pace to become only the fifth Cardinal to hand out over 4,000 career assists.
• Amber Seaman has also gotten things done from behind the service line over her career, ranking sixth in program history with 135 aces ... Seaman, who served up 51 aces last season, joins Emily Sallee (1997-2000) and Brittany McGinnis (2008-11) as the only three players to reach 3,000 career assists and 100 career aces in a Ball State uniform.
• After leading the Ball State offense with a 4.17 kills-per-set average and hitting an impressive .269 (25-4-78) in matches at Ohio (Oct. 18) and Kent State (Oct. 19) last weekend, freshman outside attacker Natalie Risi was named the MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week ... A first-time MAC weekly award winner, Risi was also solid on defense, tying for second on the squad with a 3.33 digs-per-set average ... She recorded 11 kills and was credited with seven digs versus the Bobcats, then scored her fourth double-double of the season with team-highs of 14 kills and 13 digs against the Golden Flashes.
• One of only two players to see action in all 77 sets for the Cardinals this season, Natalie Risi leads the Ball State offense with 208 kills this season and is third on the team with 211 digs ... She has smashed double-figure kills in a team-high 11 matches, including six of the last seven ... Her 17 kills in the three-set win over Northern Illinois (Oct. 4) not only tied her career high, but are also the third-most in a three-set match in the league this season.
• Since making her collegiate debut at then-No. 18 Purdue, freshman opposite Allison Hamaker has been a mainstay in the Ball State rotation, leading the team with 197 kills and a 2.90 kills-per-set average over the last 18 matches ... Her .258 (197-69-497) attack percentage is third among the team's attackers during the span, while she has also collected 43 digs and 22 total blocks ... She has also earned a pair of MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 23 & Oct. 7).
• Sydnee VanBeek enters the weekend ranked sixth in the MAC with a 1.05 blocks-per-set average ... She has accumulated 61 total blocks this season, including 14 solo blocks which are tied for sixth in the league ... VanBeek enters the week ranked 15th in program history with 297 total blocks ... In addition, her 246 career block assists are 14th on Ball State's all-time charts, while her 51 career solo blocks are one shy of breaking into the top 20.
• Outside attacker Natalie Mitchem joined elite company in the Aug. 30 match versus USF, becoming only the fourth Ball State player in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to register 20-or-more kills in a match as a freshman ... The last player to accomplish the feat was Julie Breivogel (2006-09) with 24 kills versus Toledo on Sept. 28, 2006 ... Before that, it was Kelly Cochran (2003-06) on Nov. 7, 2003 with 20 kills at Toledo ... Ball State's all-time career kills leader Sarah Obras (2002-05) smashed 20-or-more kills in nine matches her freshman season (2002) on her way to 1,975 career kills.
• Recognized by PrepVolleyball.com as one of the top 55 recruiting classes in the nation, earning "Highest Honorable Mention" accolades, Ball State's 2019 freshman class did something no other class in program history has accomplished in the Sept. 6 win over Grand Canyon ... Five members of the class smashed double digit kills, marking the first time five members of the same class have accomplished the feat in program history ... Outside Natalie Risi led the way with a career-high 17 kills, while opposite Allison Hamaker was right behind with a 16 ... Outside Natalie Mitchem collected 14 kills, while middles Marie Plitt and MyKel Ivy finished the night with career highs of 11 and 10, respectively.
• Including redshirt freshman Esther Grussing, Ball State's freshmen have accounted for 77.4 percent of the team's kills (791 of 1022), 60.5 percent of the team's digs (758 of 1253), 59.7 percent of the team's blocks (123 of 206), 58.8 percent of the team's aces (57 of 97) and 37.1 percent of the team's assists (351 of 947) this season.
• With double-figure digs at Ohio (Oct. 18), senior libero Kate Avila has now collected 10-or-more digs in a program-record 105 career matches ... The previous record was 101 set by Stephanie Keller (2001-04) and later tied by Catie Fredrich (2010-13) ... In addition, Avila has collected 20-or-more digs in 41 career matches, which ranks fourth in program history ... The program record is 49 by Alyssa Rio (2007-2010).
• Kate Avila has played all 441 sets over her collegiate career, including the last 437 as Ball State's libero ... Only 11 players in program history have played in more sets than Avila, who enters Friday's match versus Miami with 1,986 career digs to rank third in program history ... In addition, Avila's 4.50 career digs-per-set average is fourth on BSU's all-time list.
• With 1,986 career digs entering the week, Kate Avila has an outside chance at becoming the program's all-time career digs leader by the end of the season ... She needs just 287 more digs to pass the current record of 2,273 ... Averaging 4.09 digs per set this season, Avila would need to play in 71 more sets to pass the total ... Interestingly enough, she has the old record holder to thank for her defensive prowess as Stephanie Keller (2001-04) was Avila's high school coach at Yorktown.
• Freshman defensive specialist Maggie Huber has collected double-digit digs in a team-high 15 matches this season, including each of the last seven contests ... She ranks second on the team with 217 digs and a 2.86 digs-per-set average.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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