Volleyball Sweeps Season’s Final MAC West Division Weekly Awards
November 18, 2019 | Women's Volleyball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - - After running the league's longest active winning streak to six matches and claiming a third consecutive Mid-American Conference West Division Championship, the Ball State women's volleyball program swept the final MAC West Division weekly awards for the 2019 season.
Junior outside attacker Kia Holder earned her first career MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honor. Senior libero Kate Avila collected her sixth career MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week award. Ball State's 6-2 setting duo of senior Amber Seaman and Esther Grussing were awarded their second straight MAC West Division Setter of the Week accolades, with both also earning the award once individually this season.
Holder closed the regular season by leading the Cardinals with a 4.00 kills-per-set average and hitting a combined .253 (32-9-91) in wins over Eastern Michigan (Nov. 15) and Central Michigan (Nov. 16). She opened the weekend with a solid match versus the Eagles, tying for team-high honors with 13 kills to lead Ball State to a 3-1 victory. She also collected four digs and a pair of block assists in the win. Holder followed with an even more impressive performance in the 3-1 victory over the Chippewas, smashing a match-high 19 kills and collecting a career-high five total blocks, including three solo stuffs.
"Kia really stepped up for us this weekend and was a big net presence offensively as well as blocking," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "She continues to work to improve her game every week and all her hard work and discipline is paying off. She's really starting to get into a rhythm and playing confident which will be huge as we head to the MAC tournament."
Avila celebrated her senior weekend on a high note, averaging an astonishing 6.75 dig per set to lead a Ball State backcourt which averaged 23.50 digs per set and held the opposition to a .180 (117-50-372) attack percentage. She collected match-highs of 26 digs versus EMU and 28 digs versus CMU. Avila also led Ball State from the service line, with six aces on the weekend, including a career-high tying four in Friday's win over the Eagles.
"Kate was really, really good this weekend," Phillips said. "She was locked in from the first serve and competing on every ball. She brought a next level intensity like a senior libero should, and she was not going to let the ball hit the floor on our side. I loved watching her compete and can't wait to see her lead us in the tournament."
Seaman and Grussing led the Ball State offense to a .209 (118-42-364) attack percentage last weekend and helped the league's top attacking team average 14.75 kills per set over the two matches. They also combined for 42 digs for a 5.25 digs-per-set average.
Seaman collected a pair of double-doubles on the weekend, with 20 assists and 13 digs against the Eagles and 29 assists and 17 digs versus the Chippewas. She averaged 7.00 assists per set, 4.29 digs per set and collected three kills in the win over CMU. Grussing averaged 5.43 assists per set, with 25 versus EMU and 13 against CMU. She also tallied 12 total digs for a 1.57 digs-per-set average.
"Amber and Esther did a great job for us this weekend," Phillips said. "All our setters have to be so mentally prepared because of our depth and versatility. I am really proud of how they kept composed and just competed no matter the circumstances."
The Ball State women's volleyball team opens play in the 2019 MAC Volleyball Championships Friday in the 4:30 p.m. quarterfinal match at Bowling Green's Stroh Center. The Cardinals face the winner of Thursday's first round match between Ohio and Kent State.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @VBCoachMiller on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
Junior outside attacker Kia Holder earned her first career MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honor. Senior libero Kate Avila collected her sixth career MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week award. Ball State's 6-2 setting duo of senior Amber Seaman and Esther Grussing were awarded their second straight MAC West Division Setter of the Week accolades, with both also earning the award once individually this season.
Holder closed the regular season by leading the Cardinals with a 4.00 kills-per-set average and hitting a combined .253 (32-9-91) in wins over Eastern Michigan (Nov. 15) and Central Michigan (Nov. 16). She opened the weekend with a solid match versus the Eagles, tying for team-high honors with 13 kills to lead Ball State to a 3-1 victory. She also collected four digs and a pair of block assists in the win. Holder followed with an even more impressive performance in the 3-1 victory over the Chippewas, smashing a match-high 19 kills and collecting a career-high five total blocks, including three solo stuffs.
"Kia really stepped up for us this weekend and was a big net presence offensively as well as blocking," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "She continues to work to improve her game every week and all her hard work and discipline is paying off. She's really starting to get into a rhythm and playing confident which will be huge as we head to the MAC tournament."
Avila celebrated her senior weekend on a high note, averaging an astonishing 6.75 dig per set to lead a Ball State backcourt which averaged 23.50 digs per set and held the opposition to a .180 (117-50-372) attack percentage. She collected match-highs of 26 digs versus EMU and 28 digs versus CMU. Avila also led Ball State from the service line, with six aces on the weekend, including a career-high tying four in Friday's win over the Eagles.
"Kate was really, really good this weekend," Phillips said. "She was locked in from the first serve and competing on every ball. She brought a next level intensity like a senior libero should, and she was not going to let the ball hit the floor on our side. I loved watching her compete and can't wait to see her lead us in the tournament."
Seaman and Grussing led the Ball State offense to a .209 (118-42-364) attack percentage last weekend and helped the league's top attacking team average 14.75 kills per set over the two matches. They also combined for 42 digs for a 5.25 digs-per-set average.
Seaman collected a pair of double-doubles on the weekend, with 20 assists and 13 digs against the Eagles and 29 assists and 17 digs versus the Chippewas. She averaged 7.00 assists per set, 4.29 digs per set and collected three kills in the win over CMU. Grussing averaged 5.43 assists per set, with 25 versus EMU and 13 against CMU. She also tallied 12 total digs for a 1.57 digs-per-set average.
"Amber and Esther did a great job for us this weekend," Phillips said. "All our setters have to be so mentally prepared because of our depth and versatility. I am really proud of how they kept composed and just competed no matter the circumstances."
The Ball State women's volleyball team opens play in the 2019 MAC Volleyball Championships Friday in the 4:30 p.m. quarterfinal match at Bowling Green's Stroh Center. The Cardinals face the winner of Thursday's first round match between Ohio and Kent State.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @VBCoachMiller on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
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