Friday, September 13
Highland Heights, KY
6:00 PM
Ball State University
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Northern Kentucky
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Ball State
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Northern Kentucky
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Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Volleyball Rallies to Stun Northern Kentucky in Five
September 13, 2019 | Women's Volleyball
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - - After dropping the opening two sets, the Ball State women's volleyball team made another impressive comeback to top Northern Kentucky by a score of 3-2 (18-25, 19-25, 26-24, 25-23, 15-19) Friday night in its opening match of the NKU Invitational at Regents Hall.
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"That was an impressive comeback win against a strong Northern Kentucky program," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said after the match. "NKU was passing really well in the first two sets, so we decided to come out and short serve in the beginning of third. By doing that, we were able to disrupt their offense just enough to get a few more blocks, make a few more digs and swing the momentum in our favor."Â Â Â
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It's the second big come-from-behind win of the young season for the Cardinals (4-3), who also opened last weekend's Gonzaga Invitational by pulling out a thrilling five-set victory over Grand Canyon.
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Last weekend, it was five freshmen with double-digit kills which powered the comeback. Friday night against the Norse (4-3), it was a pair of upperclassmen who helped lead the charge.
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After missing last week's matches, senior middle Sydnee VanBeek returned with a vengeance, blasting eight kills, hitting .353 (8-2-17) and collecting a team-high eight total blocks. Some of her biggest plays came in the pivotal third set, as she registered five kills and three blocks in the frame, including a solo stuff to give Ball State the 26-24 set victory.
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"Getting Sydnee back on the court was big for us tonight," Phillips said. "She really made a difference in our defensive presence and dominated play at the net, collecting eight total blocks."
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The block of the Cardinals also played a key role in the fourth set, as VanBeek and freshman opposite Allison Hamaker combined for a huge block to tie the score at 23. That effort helped force NKU attack errors on the next two plays and set up a deciding fifth set. Hamaker finished the match with 11 kills, five digs and a pair of blocks.
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Ball State dominated the fifth set, out-hitting the Norse .286 (7-1-21) to .000 (6-6-26), including four more huge blocks. Sophomore outside Reece Kral took control in the later stages, scoring four of the Cardinals' final five points. Kral finished the match tied for team-high honors with a career-high tying 14 kills, while hitting .250 (14-4-40).
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"Reece was a big factor tonight," Phillips said. "She made smart shots, continued to fight and just brought the energy when we needed it the most."
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Another big factor in the win, the play of freshman outside Natalie Risi who recorded her second career double-double, tying for team-high honors with 14 kills, while collecting a career-best 22 digs.
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"Natalie turned in another solid performance," Phillips said. "She is a steady competitor who finds ways to score on tough balls. She also made a ton of spectacular defensive plays. She was a great presence again tonight."
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In addition to Risi's 22 digs, senior libero Kate Avila led the Ball State backcourt with 25 digs.
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Freshman setter Esther Grussing led the team with 30 assists and added 10 digs for her second career double-double, while also collecting three block assists. Grussing ran the offense during the final three sets, leading the Cardinals to a .250 (37-12-100) attack percentage down the stretch.
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It will be a quick turnaround for the Cardinals Saturday, as the battle Cincinnati at 10 a.m. and in-state rival Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. The Bearcats (5-2) topped the Fighting Irish (4-2) by a score of 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20) in Friday's tournament opener.
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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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"That was an impressive comeback win against a strong Northern Kentucky program," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said after the match. "NKU was passing really well in the first two sets, so we decided to come out and short serve in the beginning of third. By doing that, we were able to disrupt their offense just enough to get a few more blocks, make a few more digs and swing the momentum in our favor."Â Â Â
Â
It's the second big come-from-behind win of the young season for the Cardinals (4-3), who also opened last weekend's Gonzaga Invitational by pulling out a thrilling five-set victory over Grand Canyon.
Â
Last weekend, it was five freshmen with double-digit kills which powered the comeback. Friday night against the Norse (4-3), it was a pair of upperclassmen who helped lead the charge.
Â
After missing last week's matches, senior middle Sydnee VanBeek returned with a vengeance, blasting eight kills, hitting .353 (8-2-17) and collecting a team-high eight total blocks. Some of her biggest plays came in the pivotal third set, as she registered five kills and three blocks in the frame, including a solo stuff to give Ball State the 26-24 set victory.
Â
"Getting Sydnee back on the court was big for us tonight," Phillips said. "She really made a difference in our defensive presence and dominated play at the net, collecting eight total blocks."
Â
The block of the Cardinals also played a key role in the fourth set, as VanBeek and freshman opposite Allison Hamaker combined for a huge block to tie the score at 23. That effort helped force NKU attack errors on the next two plays and set up a deciding fifth set. Hamaker finished the match with 11 kills, five digs and a pair of blocks.
Â
Ball State dominated the fifth set, out-hitting the Norse .286 (7-1-21) to .000 (6-6-26), including four more huge blocks. Sophomore outside Reece Kral took control in the later stages, scoring four of the Cardinals' final five points. Kral finished the match tied for team-high honors with a career-high tying 14 kills, while hitting .250 (14-4-40).
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"Reece was a big factor tonight," Phillips said. "She made smart shots, continued to fight and just brought the energy when we needed it the most."
Â
Another big factor in the win, the play of freshman outside Natalie Risi who recorded her second career double-double, tying for team-high honors with 14 kills, while collecting a career-best 22 digs.
Â
"Natalie turned in another solid performance," Phillips said. "She is a steady competitor who finds ways to score on tough balls. She also made a ton of spectacular defensive plays. She was a great presence again tonight."
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In addition to Risi's 22 digs, senior libero Kate Avila led the Ball State backcourt with 25 digs.
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Freshman setter Esther Grussing led the team with 30 assists and added 10 digs for her second career double-double, while also collecting three block assists. Grussing ran the offense during the final three sets, leading the Cardinals to a .250 (37-12-100) attack percentage down the stretch.
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It will be a quick turnaround for the Cardinals Saturday, as the battle Cincinnati at 10 a.m. and in-state rival Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. The Bearcats (5-2) topped the Fighting Irish (4-2) by a score of 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20) in Friday's tournament opener.
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For the most up-to-date news on Ball State women's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateWVB and @VBCoachMiller on Twitter.
- BallStateSports.com -
Team Stats
BSU
NKU
Kills
60
65
Errors
26
27
Attempts
192
194
Hitting %
.177
.196
Points
76.0
86.5
Assists
55
60
Aces
3
6
Blocks
13.0
15.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Players Mentioned
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's VolleyballOPP / MB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMB
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