Friday, December 6
Lincoln, NE (Devaney Center)
8 p.m. ET
Ball State University
vs
Nebraska
Volleyball Takes on Nebraska Tonight in NCAA First Round
December 04, 2019 | Women's Volleyball
MATCH 32 - NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST ROUND
Ball State (20-11) vs. No. 5 Nebraska (25-4)
Friday, Dec. 6Â -Â 8Â p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
(Lincoln, Neb. / Devaney Center)
Live Video: BTNplus.com (FREE)Â Â |Â Â Live StatsÂ
Live Audio: (Nebraska Broadcast)Â Â | Â Social Media (@BallStateWVB)Â Â | Â Tickets
Tournament Notes: Ball State | Nebraska
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THE WEEK AHEAD:Â The Ball State women's volleyball program opens play in the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship with an 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT first serve at fifth-seeded Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 6 ... The winner advances to play either Northern Iowa or Missouri at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 7.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS:
• Ball State earned the program's ninth berth into the NCAA Tournament by claiming the 2019 Mid-American Conference Volleyball Championship title ... Winners of nine-straight matches, the Cardinals earned MAC Tournament victories over fifth-seeded Ohio (3-1) in the quarterfinals, top-seeded Miami (3-1) in the semifinals and third-seeded Bowling Green (3-2) in the championship match.
• Ball State enters Friday's match at Nebraska averaging a MAC-best 13.78 kills-per-set, which also ranks 35th nationally ... The team's 1,695 total kills are 10th among all 332 ranked NCAA Division I programs, while its 1,567 total assists are 10th ... The Cardinals also rank third in the league with a .221 hitting percentage.
• The Ball State defense is even more solid, ranking 19th nationally with a 17.54 digs-per-set average ... The Cardinals 2,158 total digs are the fifth-most among all NCAA Division I programs.Â
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SCOUTING NEBRASKA:
• Nebraska earned the fifth overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 25-4 overall record, including a 17-3 mark in Big Ten play ... The Huskers tied for second overall in the Big Ten, one match behind league-winner Wisconsin.
• The Nebraska roster features a pair of local players in sophomore defensive specialist Megan Miller (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria-Monroe) and freshman defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) ... Knuckles serves as the Huskers libero and leads the team with a 3.71 digs-per-set average, while Miller is fifth at 2.09 digs per set.
• Nebraska enters Friday's match ranked 33rd in the country with a 13.79 kill-per-set average and has accumulated 1,462 kills on the year ... The Huskers are also connecting at a .269 clip this season, which ranks 25th nationally.
• On defense, Nebraska averages 2.36 blocks and 15.08 digs per set, plus it is holding opponents to the eighth-lowest attack percentage in the nation at .149.
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SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA:
• UNI earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 24-10 overall record ... The Panthers fell to Illinois State in the championship match of the MVC Tournament last Saturday.
• UNI enters the tournament as one of the nation's top attacking teams, ranking seventh in the country with a 14.58 kills-per-set average ... The Panthers' 1,837 total kills and 1,698 total assists pace all 332 NCAA Division I programs ... UNI also leads the MVC with a .226 hitting percentage, which is 90th nationally.
• On defense, UNI ranks ninth nationally with a 17.91 digs-per-set average, while its 2,257 total digs are second in the country ... The Panthers are also limiting opponents to a .174 attack percentage this season.
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SCOUTING MISSOURI:
• Missouri earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 21-7 overall record and tying for third in the SEC with a 13-5 league mark ... The Tigers closed the regular season with three straight conference wins, knocking off Tennessee (3-1), Ole Miss (3-1) and LSU (3-0).
• Missouri boasts one of the nation's top offenses, ranking third nationally in attack percentage (.301) and sixth in kills-per-set (14.70) ... The Tigers are also strong from the service line, ranking 23rd nationally at 1.68 aces per set.
• On defense, Missouri ranks 135th nationally with a 2.10 blocks-per-set average, while it's 12.56 digs-per-set average is 316th among the 332 ranked NCAA Division I programs ... The Tigers also allow opponents to connect for a .219 hitting percentage.Â
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ALL-TIME SERIES:
• Nebraska holds a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series versus Ball State, including a 3-0 (30-19, 30-21, 30-20) victory in the latest meeting, played Sept. 11, 2004 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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All-Time vs. Nebraska
Series: Nebraska leads 2-0 (H: 0-1 / A: 0-1 / N: 0-0)
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• Northern Iowa holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series versus Ball State, including a 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-13, 25-19) victory in the latest meeting, played Sept. 7, 2018 in Muncie, Indiana ... The teams also met up in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, with the Panthers earning a hard-fought 3-2 (12-15, 15-9, 10-15, 15-2, 15-12) victory.
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All-Time vs. Northern Iowa
Series:Â Northern Iowa leads the series 4-2 (H: 0-1 / A: 1-0 / N: 1-3)
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• If Ball State and Missouri meet in Saturday's second-round match, it would be the first contest between the two programs in women's volleyball.
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BALL STATE IN THE NCAA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP:
• Ball State is making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship and its first since the 2011 season.
• The Cardinals are 2-8 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, advancing to the second round in both 1994 and 1995 ... Ball State is 2-6 in first round matches and 0-2 in second round action.
• In 1994, the Cardinals earned a thrilling 3-2 (15-12, 8-15, 15-7, 8-15, 16-14) victory at Illinois ... Ball State out-hit the Fighting Illini .297 to .286 in the win, while also out-blocking Illinois by a 16 to 11 margin ... Individually, Carin Zielinski and Cassy Herode tied for team-high honors with 18 kills apiece in the win, while five players registered double-figure kills ... Liz Cothren dominated at the net, racking up 12 total blocks (1 solo and 11 assists).
• In 1995, the Cardinals hosted an NCAA Tournament match for the first time in program history and went on to score a 3-0 (15-13, 15-11, 15-8) sweep of Loyola Chicago  ... In the win, Ball State held a decisive .231 to .173 attacking advantage, while earning a six to two edge in service aces ... Individually, Jennifer Schilling smashed a match-high 18 kills in the win, while Lindsay Follin was not far behind with 15 ... Setter Wendy Carter handed out 46 assists in the match, and also led the Ball State defense with 14 digs.Â
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Ball State All-Time NCAA Tournament Appearances
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• Ball State boasts a 932-607-2 (.605) all-time record in women's volleyball over 48 seasons of play ... The Cardinals have captured 10 MAC West Division Championships, eight MAC Regular Season Championships and seven MAC Tournament Championships ... Ball State will be making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament Friday, and has also earned one bid into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
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• Ball State enters the 2019 NCAA Volleyball Championship on a nine-match winning streak ... The streak currently ties as the 13th-longest active winning streak in the nation.
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NCAA DI ACTIVE WINNING STREAKS
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• Over the last nine matches, Ball State has gotten things done on both offense and defense ... Offensively, the Cardinals are connecting at a .246 clip and averaging 14.79 kills per set ... Defensively, Ball State is averaging 19.76 digs per set, 1.84 blocks per set and holding the opposition to a .198 rate of success ... From behind the service line, the Cardinals have served up 1.47 aces per set during the streak.
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• Freshman outside attacker Natalie Risi has led the Ball State offense with 124 kills over the current winning streak, averaging 3.26 kills per set ... Junior outside attacker Kia Holder is not far behind with 119 kills and a 3.22 average.
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• Defensively, senior libero Kate Avila has held down the backcourt with a 5.66 digs-per-set average during the winning streak, tallying 215 total digs ... Freshman defensive specialist Maggie Huber is second with 127 digs (3.34 per set), while Natalie Risi is third at 122 (3.21 per set) ... At the net, senior middle Sydnee VanBeek leads the charge with a 1.00 blocks-per-set average, collecting 38 total blocks.
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• With a 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 25-18, 18-25, 15-5) victory over third-seeded Bowling Green in the championship match of the 2019 MAC Volleyball Championship, Ball State claimed the seventh tournament title in program history and its first since the 2002 season ... Kia Holder, freshman opposite Natalie Mitchem and Natalie Risi each scored 12 kills to lead the offense in the win, while Kate Avila led four players in double figures with 29 digs ... In the dominating fifth-set victory, the Cardinals scored 10 kills on 13 swings with no errors for a .769 attack percentage.Â
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• Ball State earned its spot in the championship match by defeating top-seeded and four-time defending MAC Regular Season Champion Miami in the semifinals ... Led by 17 kills from Sydnee VanBeek, the Cardinals snapped a five-match losing streak to the RedHawks with a 3-1 (25-18, 28-30, 25-23, 25-20) victory ... Defensively, Ball State collected 105 total digs in four-set win, which was the second-most digs for the team in a match this season, trailing only the 107 vs. Wright State (Sept. 21) ... Kate Avila led five players in double figures with 30 digs, while the team's 105 total digs are the most in a four-set match in the MAC this season.
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• Ball State opened its MAC Volleyball Championship run with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 25-16) quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Ohio ... Kia Holder and Natalie Risi each smashed 16 kills in the win, while the team as a whole hit .344 (67-15-151) for the match ... It was Ball State's second-best attack percentage in a match this season, trailing only a .387 (50-9-106) team effort versus Northern Illinois on Oct. 4 ... Kate Avila led the defense with 21 digs and also earned a perfect reception percentage in 27 attempts.
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• Ball State closed the 2019 regular season with a league-best 392-199 (.663) all-time record in MAC play ... Western Michigan is three matches back in second at 289-202 (.658).
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• Ball State was heavily rewarded for its run to a third consecutive MAC West Division Championship with four student-athlete being recognized in the league's postseason awards ... Highlighting the list was Natalie Risi who became just the third player in program history to be named MAC Freshman of the Year ... Risi also earned First Team All-MAC honors and was a member of the MAC All-Freshman Team ... Senior setter Amber Seaman picked up honors for the third straight season, being named to the All-MAC Honorable Mention squad ... Seaman was also an honorable mention in 2017 and earned first team honors, along with MAC Setter of the Year accolades, in 2018 ... In addition, opposite Allison Hamaker and middle Marie Plitt joined Risi on the MAC All-Freshman squad.
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• With two more All-MAC (first team or honorable mention) award winners, Ball State continues to rank second in MAC history in both total All-MAC selections (101) and total First Team All-MAC honorees (50).
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• Aside from Natalie Risi, the only other players in program history to be named MAC Freshman of the Year are Emily Sallee (1997-2000) in 1997 and Sarah Obras (2002-05) in 2002 ... Both went on to shatter Ball State and MAC records, with Sallee still ranking first in league history with 6,408 career assists and Obras ranking second in MAC annals with 1,975 career kills.
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• Ball State's student-athletes earned a total of 12 MAC weekly awards this season ... Freshman Esther Grussing and Amber Seaman led the way earning three MAC West Division Setter of the Week honors apiece ... Natalie Risi and Allison Hamaker both earned a pair of MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honors ... Kia Holder earned offensive player honors in the final week of the season, while Kate Avila did the same with MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week.
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• Natalie Risi smashed a career-high 27 kills in Ball State's five-set win over Toledo (Oct. 31) ... The 27 kills tie as the 19th-best single-match effort in program history, are the second-most in a match in the MAC this season and are the most for a Ball State player since Rachel Refenes (2004-05) scored 27 versus Western Michigan on Oct. 1, 2004.
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• Over the last two matches in October, Natalie Risi collected 52 total kills with 25 coming versus Bowling Green (Oct. 26) and 27 against Toledo (Oct. 31) ... Risi's total is the most for a Ball State attacker in consecutive matches since Sarah Obras (2002-05) smashed 56 in 2004, with 30 at Toledo on Sept. 25, 2004 and 26 versus Western Michigan on Oct. 1, 2004.
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• Freshman outside attacker Natalie Risi joined elite company with her back-to-back 20-or-more kill performances, becoming just the second Ball State freshman in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to smash 20-or-more kills in multiple matches in her debut season ... The only other was Ball State's career kills leader Sarah Obras (2002-05) who smashed 20-or-more kills in nine matches her freshman season (2002) on her way to 1,975 career kills.
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• Natalie Risi is not the only Ball State freshman to register at least 20 kills in a match this season as Natalie Mitchem blasted a career-high 21 kills versus USF (Aug. 30) to become the fourth Cardinal in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to register 20-or-more kills in a match as a freshman, with Risi becoming the fifth ... Prior to the Mitchem, the last freshman 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.
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• Speaking of players scoring 20-or-more kills in a match, Kia Holder became the third Ball State player to pass the mark this season with her career-high 21 blasts in the win over Buffalo (Nov. 2) ... Over the last nine matches, Holder ranks second on the team with 119 kills and a 3.22 kills-per-set average ... She has smashed double-digit kills in eight of the nine matches, and also hit a career-best .438 (16-2-32) versus Ohio (Nov. 22) in the MAC Tournament ... Prior to the last nine matches, Holder had just 31 kills in 11 previous match appearances on the year.
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• One of only two players to see action in all 123 sets for the Cardinals this season, Natalie Risi leads the Ball State offense with 360 kills and is third on the team with 353 digs ... She has smashed double-figure kills in a team-high 18 matches, including 14 of the last 18 ... She has also been credited with double-digit digs in 17 matches, including a career-high 22 at Northern Kentucky (Sept. 13), and has recorded a team-high 10 kill/dig double-doubles ... Risi's 360 kills are also the most for a Ball State freshman since the 2006 season when Julie Breivogel (2006-09) scored 377.
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• The other player to see action in all 123 sets for the Cardinals this season is Kate Avila who has played all 487 sets over her collegiate career, including 481 as Ball State's libero ... After the final set in the regular season finale versus Central Michigan (Nov. 16), no other player has played in more sets for the Cardinals than Avila ... The previous program record was 473 by Tiffany Stevens (1992-95).
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• With double-figure digs in all three matches of the MAC Volleyball Championship, Kate Avila has collected 10-or-more digs in a program-record 116 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 49 career matches, which is tied with Alyssa Rio's (2007-2010) for the program record.
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• Amber Seaman has established herself as one of the top setters in Ball State history, becoming just the fifth Cardinal to record over 4,000 career assists in the win at Northern Illinois (Nov. 9) ... She currently ranks fifth on BSU's career charts with 4,149 assists and seventh with a 9.88 assists-per-set average.
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• Amber Seaman has also gotten things done from behind the service line over her career, ranking fourth in program history with 140 aces ... Seaman 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.
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• 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 in the victory, marking the first time five members of the same class have accomplished the feat in program history ... Natalie Risi led the way with 17 kills, while Allison Hamaker was right behind with 16 ... Natalie Mitchem collected 14 kills, while Marie Plitt and MyKel Ivy finished the night with 11 and 10, respectively.
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• Ball State's freshman class has made a huge impact on the court this season ... Including redshirt freshman Esther Grussing, the Cardinals have had eight first-year players see action this year ... They have combined to produce:Â
69.8% of the team's kills (1183 of 1695)
56.5% of the team's aces (91 of 161)
56.3% of the team's digs (1214 of 2158)
53.7% of the team's total blocks (181 of 337)
39.9% of the team's assists (626 of 1567)
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• Freshman defensive specialist Chloe Rickenbach became the third different Ball State player to log 20-or-more digs in a match this season with her career-high 24 versus Bowling Green (Oct. 26) ... Rickenbach also turned in an impressive serving performance versus Missouri State (Sept. 21), earning a career-high six aces ... It's the highest total for a Ball State player since Amber Seaman served up six aces versus Ohio on Oct. 12, 2018 ... In the 48-year history of the program, a Cardinal has served up six-or-more aces just 35 times.
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• The Cardinals added two more players to the 20-or-more dig list in its final road weekend of the regular season, with freshman defensive specialist Maggie Huber collecting a career-high 26 at Western Michigan (Nov. 8) and senior defensive specialist Anna Jensen following with a career-best 20 at Northern Illinois (Nov. 9) ... It's the first time in the rally scoring era (2001-present) five different Cardinals have collected at least 20 digs in a match in the same season.
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• Ball State's active career kills leader, with 824 over her four seasons, Sydnee VanBeek enters the NCAA Tournament with double-digit kills in six matches this season, including 17 in the MAC Tournament semifinal win over Miami (Nov. 23) ... She also enters Friday's match at Nebraska ranked 12th in program history with 339 career blocks, which also leads Ball State's active players ... In addition, her 272 career block assists rank 11th on BSU's all-time list, while her 67 career solo blocks are 12th.
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Ball State (20-11) vs. No. 5 Nebraska (25-4)
Friday, Dec. 6Â -Â 8Â p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT
(Lincoln, Neb. / Devaney Center)
Live Video: BTNplus.com (FREE)Â Â |Â Â Live StatsÂ
Live Audio: (Nebraska Broadcast)Â Â | Â Social Media (@BallStateWVB)Â Â | Â Tickets
Tournament Notes: Ball State | Nebraska
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THE WEEK AHEAD:Â The Ball State women's volleyball program opens play in the 2019 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship with an 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT first serve at fifth-seeded Nebraska on Friday, Dec. 6 ... The winner advances to play either Northern Iowa or Missouri at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Dec. 7.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS:
• Ball State earned the program's ninth berth into the NCAA Tournament by claiming the 2019 Mid-American Conference Volleyball Championship title ... Winners of nine-straight matches, the Cardinals earned MAC Tournament victories over fifth-seeded Ohio (3-1) in the quarterfinals, top-seeded Miami (3-1) in the semifinals and third-seeded Bowling Green (3-2) in the championship match.
• Ball State enters Friday's match at Nebraska averaging a MAC-best 13.78 kills-per-set, which also ranks 35th nationally ... The team's 1,695 total kills are 10th among all 332 ranked NCAA Division I programs, while its 1,567 total assists are 10th ... The Cardinals also rank third in the league with a .221 hitting percentage.
• The Ball State defense is even more solid, ranking 19th nationally with a 17.54 digs-per-set average ... The Cardinals 2,158 total digs are the fifth-most among all NCAA Division I programs.Â
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"Let's go. Why not Ball State?"@kgraceav
— Ball State Volleyball ?? (@BallStateWVB) December 2, 2019
We're going dancing Friday at Nebraska!#WeFly l #ChirpChirp pic.twitter.com/s1qOtN3AVK
SCOUTING NEBRASKA:
• Nebraska earned the fifth overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 25-4 overall record, including a 17-3 mark in Big Ten play ... The Huskers tied for second overall in the Big Ten, one match behind league-winner Wisconsin.
• The Nebraska roster features a pair of local players in sophomore defensive specialist Megan Miller (Alexandria, Ind./Alexandria-Monroe) and freshman defensive specialist Kenzie Knuckles (Yorktown, Ind./Yorktown) ... Knuckles serves as the Huskers libero and leads the team with a 3.71 digs-per-set average, while Miller is fifth at 2.09 digs per set.
• Nebraska enters Friday's match ranked 33rd in the country with a 13.79 kill-per-set average and has accumulated 1,462 kills on the year ... The Huskers are also connecting at a .269 clip this season, which ranks 25th nationally.
• On defense, Nebraska averages 2.36 blocks and 15.08 digs per set, plus it is holding opponents to the eighth-lowest attack percentage in the nation at .149.
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SCOUTING NORTHERN IOWA:
• UNI earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 24-10 overall record ... The Panthers fell to Illinois State in the championship match of the MVC Tournament last Saturday.
• UNI enters the tournament as one of the nation's top attacking teams, ranking seventh in the country with a 14.58 kills-per-set average ... The Panthers' 1,837 total kills and 1,698 total assists pace all 332 NCAA Division I programs ... UNI also leads the MVC with a .226 hitting percentage, which is 90th nationally.
• On defense, UNI ranks ninth nationally with a 17.91 digs-per-set average, while its 2,257 total digs are second in the country ... The Panthers are also limiting opponents to a .174 attack percentage this season.
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SCOUTING MISSOURI:
• Missouri earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 21-7 overall record and tying for third in the SEC with a 13-5 league mark ... The Tigers closed the regular season with three straight conference wins, knocking off Tennessee (3-1), Ole Miss (3-1) and LSU (3-0).
• Missouri boasts one of the nation's top offenses, ranking third nationally in attack percentage (.301) and sixth in kills-per-set (14.70) ... The Tigers are also strong from the service line, ranking 23rd nationally at 1.68 aces per set.
• On defense, Missouri ranks 135th nationally with a 2.10 blocks-per-set average, while it's 12.56 digs-per-set average is 316th among the 332 ranked NCAA Division I programs ... The Tigers also allow opponents to connect for a .219 hitting percentage.Â
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ALL-TIME SERIES:
• Nebraska holds a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series versus Ball State, including a 3-0 (30-19, 30-21, 30-20) victory in the latest meeting, played Sept. 11, 2004 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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All-Time vs. Nebraska
| Â Date | Â Winner | Â Score | Â Site |
| Â 9/1/2002 | Â Nebraska | Â 3-0 (30-20, 30-19, 30-28) | Â H |
| Â 9/11/2004 | Â Nebraska | Â 3-0 (30-19, 30-21, 30-20) | Â A |
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• Northern Iowa holds a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series versus Ball State, including a 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-13, 25-19) victory in the latest meeting, played Sept. 7, 2018 in Muncie, Indiana ... The teams also met up in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, with the Panthers earning a hard-fought 3-2 (12-15, 15-9, 10-15, 15-2, 15-12) victory.
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All-Time vs. Northern Iowa
| Â Date | Â Winner | Â Score | Â Site |
| Â 10/23/1982 | Â Ball State | Â Â 3-2 (13-15, 15-13, 15-10, 9-15, 15-10) | Â N |
| Â 10/8/1988 | Â Ball State | Â 3-2 (5-15, 15-12, 15-13, 12-15, 15-5) | Â A |
| Â 12/2/1999 | Â Northern Iowa | Â 3-2 (12-15, 15-9, 10-15, 15-2, 15-12) | Â N |
| Â 9/8/2001 | Â Northern Iowa | Â 3-1 (30-23, 30-32, 30-17, 30-24) | Â N |
| Â 8/30/2003 | Â Northern Iowa | Â 3-1 (30-23, 25-30, 21-30, 19-30) | Â N |
| Â 9/7/2018 | Â Northern Iowa | Â 3-1 (25-21, 20-25, 25-13, 25-19) | Â H |
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• If Ball State and Missouri meet in Saturday's second-round match, it would be the first contest between the two programs in women's volleyball.
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BALL STATE IN THE NCAA VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP:
• Ball State is making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship and its first since the 2011 season.
• The Cardinals are 2-8 all-time in NCAA Tournament play, advancing to the second round in both 1994 and 1995 ... Ball State is 2-6 in first round matches and 0-2 in second round action.
• In 1994, the Cardinals earned a thrilling 3-2 (15-12, 8-15, 15-7, 8-15, 16-14) victory at Illinois ... Ball State out-hit the Fighting Illini .297 to .286 in the win, while also out-blocking Illinois by a 16 to 11 margin ... Individually, Carin Zielinski and Cassy Herode tied for team-high honors with 18 kills apiece in the win, while five players registered double-figure kills ... Liz Cothren dominated at the net, racking up 12 total blocks (1 solo and 11 assists).
• In 1995, the Cardinals hosted an NCAA Tournament match for the first time in program history and went on to score a 3-0 (15-13, 15-11, 15-8) sweep of Loyola Chicago  ... In the win, Ball State held a decisive .231 to .173 attacking advantage, while earning a six to two edge in service aces ... Individually, Jennifer Schilling smashed a match-high 18 kills in the win, while Lindsay Follin was not far behind with 15 ... Setter Wendy Carter handed out 46 assists in the match, and also led the Ball State defense with 14 digs.Â
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Ball State All-Time NCAA Tournament Appearances
| Date | Opponent | Round | Scores |
| 12/4/1992 | at UCLA | Â 1st | Â Â L, 0-3 (1-15, 4-15, 0-15) |
| 12/1/1993 | at Minnesota | 1st | Â Â L, 0-3 (6-15, 11-15, 9-15) |
| 11/30/1994 | at Illinois | 1st | Â W, 3-2 (15-12, 8-15, 15-7, 8-15, 16-14) |
| 12/3/1994 | at Penn State | 2nd | Â Â L, 0-3 (8-15, 5-15, 16-18) |
| 11/29/1995 | Loyola Chicago | 1st | Â W, 3-0 (15-13, 15-11, 15-8) |
| 12/2/1995 | at UCLA | 2nd | Â Â L, 0-3 (4-15, 4-15, 7-15) |
| 12/2/1999 | vs. Northern Iowa | 1st | Â Â L, 2-3 (15-12, 9-15, 15-10, 2-15, 12-15) |
| 12/1/2000 | at Ohio State | 1st | Â Â L, 1-3 (14-16, 3-15, 16-14, 10-15) |
| 12/6/2002 | vs. Louisville | 1st | Â Â L, 0-3 (24-30, 24-30, 25-30) |
| 12/2/2011 | vs. Louisville | 1st | Â Â L, 0-3 (22-25, 15-25, 20-25) |
• Ball State boasts a 932-607-2 (.605) all-time record in women's volleyball over 48 seasons of play ... The Cardinals have captured 10 MAC West Division Championships, eight MAC Regular Season Championships and seven MAC Tournament Championships ... Ball State will be making its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament Friday, and has also earned one bid into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
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• Ball State enters the 2019 NCAA Volleyball Championship on a nine-match winning streak ... The streak currently ties as the 13th-longest active winning streak in the nation.
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NCAA DI ACTIVE WINNING STREAKS
| # | Team | Record | Streak |
| 1. | Western Kentucky | 31-1 | W28 |
| Colorado State | 29-1 | W28 | |
| 3. | Stephen F. Austin | 31-1 | W24 |
| 4. | Towson | 28-2 | W22 |
| 5. | New Mexico State | 27-3 | W19 |
| 6. | Pittsburgh | 29-1 | W18 |
| 7. | American | 24-7 | W17 |
| 8. | Northern Colorado | 26-7 | W12 |
| Winthrop | 24-4 | W12 | |
| Samford | 24-5 | W12 | |
| 11. | Hawaii | 24-3 | W11 |
| Stanford | 24-4 | W11 | |
| 13. | Ball State | 20-11 | W9 |
| Baylor | 25-1 | W9 | |
| San Diego | 24-5 | W9 | |
| Northern Kentucky | 20-12 | W9 |
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• Over the last nine matches, Ball State has gotten things done on both offense and defense ... Offensively, the Cardinals are connecting at a .246 clip and averaging 14.79 kills per set ... Defensively, Ball State is averaging 19.76 digs per set, 1.84 blocks per set and holding the opposition to a .198 rate of success ... From behind the service line, the Cardinals have served up 1.47 aces per set during the streak.
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• Freshman outside attacker Natalie Risi has led the Ball State offense with 124 kills over the current winning streak, averaging 3.26 kills per set ... Junior outside attacker Kia Holder is not far behind with 119 kills and a 3.22 average.
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• Defensively, senior libero Kate Avila has held down the backcourt with a 5.66 digs-per-set average during the winning streak, tallying 215 total digs ... Freshman defensive specialist Maggie Huber is second with 127 digs (3.34 per set), while Natalie Risi is third at 122 (3.21 per set) ... At the net, senior middle Sydnee VanBeek leads the charge with a 1.00 blocks-per-set average, collecting 38 total blocks.
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... waking up @MACSports CHAMPIONS!!!
— Ball State Volleyball ?? (@BallStateWVB) November 25, 2019
Relive our TITLE MATCH VICTORY with this AWESOME video by @JoelGodett #ChirpChirp #WeFly #NCAAVB #MACtion
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• With a 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 25-18, 18-25, 15-5) victory over third-seeded Bowling Green in the championship match of the 2019 MAC Volleyball Championship, Ball State claimed the seventh tournament title in program history and its first since the 2002 season ... Kia Holder, freshman opposite Natalie Mitchem and Natalie Risi each scored 12 kills to lead the offense in the win, while Kate Avila led four players in double figures with 29 digs ... In the dominating fifth-set victory, the Cardinals scored 10 kills on 13 swings with no errors for a .769 attack percentage.Â
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• Ball State earned its spot in the championship match by defeating top-seeded and four-time defending MAC Regular Season Champion Miami in the semifinals ... Led by 17 kills from Sydnee VanBeek, the Cardinals snapped a five-match losing streak to the RedHawks with a 3-1 (25-18, 28-30, 25-23, 25-20) victory ... Defensively, Ball State collected 105 total digs in four-set win, which was the second-most digs for the team in a match this season, trailing only the 107 vs. Wright State (Sept. 21) ... Kate Avila led five players in double figures with 30 digs, while the team's 105 total digs are the most in a four-set match in the MAC this season.
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• Ball State opened its MAC Volleyball Championship run with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 25-16) quarterfinal victory over fifth-seeded Ohio ... Kia Holder and Natalie Risi each smashed 16 kills in the win, while the team as a whole hit .344 (67-15-151) for the match ... It was Ball State's second-best attack percentage in a match this season, trailing only a .387 (50-9-106) team effort versus Northern Illinois on Oct. 4 ... Kate Avila led the defense with 21 digs and also earned a perfect reception percentage in 27 attempts.
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• Ball State closed the 2019 regular season with a league-best 392-199 (.663) all-time record in MAC play ... Western Michigan is three matches back in second at 289-202 (.658).
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• Ball State was heavily rewarded for its run to a third consecutive MAC West Division Championship with four student-athlete being recognized in the league's postseason awards ... Highlighting the list was Natalie Risi who became just the third player in program history to be named MAC Freshman of the Year ... Risi also earned First Team All-MAC honors and was a member of the MAC All-Freshman Team ... Senior setter Amber Seaman picked up honors for the third straight season, being named to the All-MAC Honorable Mention squad ... Seaman was also an honorable mention in 2017 and earned first team honors, along with MAC Setter of the Year accolades, in 2018 ... In addition, opposite Allison Hamaker and middle Marie Plitt joined Risi on the MAC All-Freshman squad.
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• With two more All-MAC (first team or honorable mention) award winners, Ball State continues to rank second in MAC history in both total All-MAC selections (101) and total First Team All-MAC honorees (50).
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• Aside from Natalie Risi, the only other players in program history to be named MAC Freshman of the Year are Emily Sallee (1997-2000) in 1997 and Sarah Obras (2002-05) in 2002 ... Both went on to shatter Ball State and MAC records, with Sallee still ranking first in league history with 6,408 career assists and Obras ranking second in MAC annals with 1,975 career kills.
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• Ball State's student-athletes earned a total of 12 MAC weekly awards this season ... Freshman Esther Grussing and Amber Seaman led the way earning three MAC West Division Setter of the Week honors apiece ... Natalie Risi and Allison Hamaker both earned a pair of MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week honors ... Kia Holder earned offensive player honors in the final week of the season, while Kate Avila did the same with MAC West Division Defensive Player of the Week.
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• Natalie Risi smashed a career-high 27 kills in Ball State's five-set win over Toledo (Oct. 31) ... The 27 kills tie as the 19th-best single-match effort in program history, are the second-most in a match in the MAC this season and are the most for a Ball State player since Rachel Refenes (2004-05) scored 27 versus Western Michigan on Oct. 1, 2004.
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• Over the last two matches in October, Natalie Risi collected 52 total kills with 25 coming versus Bowling Green (Oct. 26) and 27 against Toledo (Oct. 31) ... Risi's total is the most for a Ball State attacker in consecutive matches since Sarah Obras (2002-05) smashed 56 in 2004, with 30 at Toledo on Sept. 25, 2004 and 26 versus Western Michigan on Oct. 1, 2004.
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• Freshman outside attacker Natalie Risi joined elite company with her back-to-back 20-or-more kill performances, becoming just the second Ball State freshman in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to smash 20-or-more kills in multiple matches in her debut season ... The only other was Ball State's career kills leader Sarah Obras (2002-05) who smashed 20-or-more kills in nine matches her freshman season (2002) on her way to 1,975 career kills.
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• Natalie Risi is not the only Ball State freshman to register at least 20 kills in a match this season as Natalie Mitchem blasted a career-high 21 kills versus USF (Aug. 30) to become the fourth Cardinal in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to register 20-or-more kills in a match as a freshman, with Risi becoming the fifth ... Prior to the Mitchem, the last freshman 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.
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• Speaking of players scoring 20-or-more kills in a match, Kia Holder became the third Ball State player to pass the mark this season with her career-high 21 blasts in the win over Buffalo (Nov. 2) ... Over the last nine matches, Holder ranks second on the team with 119 kills and a 3.22 kills-per-set average ... She has smashed double-digit kills in eight of the nine matches, and also hit a career-best .438 (16-2-32) versus Ohio (Nov. 22) in the MAC Tournament ... Prior to the last nine matches, Holder had just 31 kills in 11 previous match appearances on the year.
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• One of only two players to see action in all 123 sets for the Cardinals this season, Natalie Risi leads the Ball State offense with 360 kills and is third on the team with 353 digs ... She has smashed double-figure kills in a team-high 18 matches, including 14 of the last 18 ... She has also been credited with double-digit digs in 17 matches, including a career-high 22 at Northern Kentucky (Sept. 13), and has recorded a team-high 10 kill/dig double-doubles ... Risi's 360 kills are also the most for a Ball State freshman since the 2006 season when Julie Breivogel (2006-09) scored 377.
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• The other player to see action in all 123 sets for the Cardinals this season is Kate Avila who has played all 487 sets over her collegiate career, including 481 as Ball State's libero ... After the final set in the regular season finale versus Central Michigan (Nov. 16), no other player has played in more sets for the Cardinals than Avila ... The previous program record was 473 by Tiffany Stevens (1992-95).
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• With double-figure digs in all three matches of the MAC Volleyball Championship, Kate Avila has collected 10-or-more digs in a program-record 116 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 49 career matches, which is tied with Alyssa Rio's (2007-2010) for the program record.
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• Amber Seaman has established herself as one of the top setters in Ball State history, becoming just the fifth Cardinal to record over 4,000 career assists in the win at Northern Illinois (Nov. 9) ... She currently ranks fifth on BSU's career charts with 4,149 assists and seventh with a 9.88 assists-per-set average.
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• Amber Seaman has also gotten things done from behind the service line over her career, ranking fourth in program history with 140 aces ... Seaman 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.
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• 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 in the victory, marking the first time five members of the same class have accomplished the feat in program history ... Natalie Risi led the way with 17 kills, while Allison Hamaker was right behind with 16 ... Natalie Mitchem collected 14 kills, while Marie Plitt and MyKel Ivy finished the night with 11 and 10, respectively.
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• Ball State's freshman class has made a huge impact on the court this season ... Including redshirt freshman Esther Grussing, the Cardinals have had eight first-year players see action this year ... They have combined to produce:Â
69.8% of the team's kills (1183 of 1695)
56.5% of the team's aces (91 of 161)
56.3% of the team's digs (1214 of 2158)
53.7% of the team's total blocks (181 of 337)
39.9% of the team's assists (626 of 1567)
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• Freshman defensive specialist Chloe Rickenbach became the third different Ball State player to log 20-or-more digs in a match this season with her career-high 24 versus Bowling Green (Oct. 26) ... Rickenbach also turned in an impressive serving performance versus Missouri State (Sept. 21), earning a career-high six aces ... It's the highest total for a Ball State player since Amber Seaman served up six aces versus Ohio on Oct. 12, 2018 ... In the 48-year history of the program, a Cardinal has served up six-or-more aces just 35 times.
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• The Cardinals added two more players to the 20-or-more dig list in its final road weekend of the regular season, with freshman defensive specialist Maggie Huber collecting a career-high 26 at Western Michigan (Nov. 8) and senior defensive specialist Anna Jensen following with a career-best 20 at Northern Illinois (Nov. 9) ... It's the first time in the rally scoring era (2001-present) five different Cardinals have collected at least 20 digs in a match in the same season.
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• Ball State's active career kills leader, with 824 over her four seasons, Sydnee VanBeek enters the NCAA Tournament with double-digit kills in six matches this season, including 17 in the MAC Tournament semifinal win over Miami (Nov. 23) ... She also enters Friday's match at Nebraska ranked 12th in program history with 339 career blocks, which also leads Ball State's active players ... In addition, her 272 career block assists rank 11th on BSU's all-time list, while her 67 career solo blocks are 12th.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's VolleyballWomen's Volleyball // 2025 First Practice Recap
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Director of Athletics Jeff Mitchell discusses NCAA vs. House Settlement & Bill Richards Thank You
Friday, June 27
Worthen Arena // Floor Update Timelapse
Wednesday, June 04