Volleyball Welcomes Toledo To Worthen For Tuesday Divisional Showdown

Match 21: Ball State (17-3; 7-1 MAC) hosts Toledo (15-5; 6-2 MAC)
   Tuesday, Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. ET - Worthen Arena
   Live Stats  |  ESPN+
   Faculty Appreciation Night - (BSU Faculty Receive Free Admission w/Valid ID - CLICK HERE TO REGISTER)

Match 22: Ball State (17-3; 7-1 MAC) at Western Michigan (14-6; 7-2 MAC)
   Friday, Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. ET - University Arena
   Live Stats  |  ESPN+

Match 23: Ball State (17-3; 7-1 MAC) at Western Michigan (14-6; 7-2 MAC)
   Saturday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. ET - University Arena
   Live Stats  |  Broncos All-Access (FREE)

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Thanks to a pair of weekend sweeps over Northern Illinois, the Ball State women's volleyball team enters perhaps the most crucial stretch of the regular season winners of seven straight and in first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division for the first time this season.

The Cardinals enter the week with a 17-3 overall record and a 7-1 MAC mark. Over the next four matches, however, Ball State will be tested against the other three top teams in the league.

It starts Tuesday evening, with a 6:30 p.m. first serve versus Toledo in Worthen Arena. The Rockets enter the week with the second-best overall record in the league at 15-5, including a 6-2 mark in the MAC mark which places UT fourth overall in the MAC standings.

After the bout with Toledo, the Cardinals travel to Western Michigan for a pair of matches at University Arena. The Broncos enter the week with a 14-6 overall record, including a 7-2 mark in MAC play. The third-place team in the conference standings, WMU's losses have come to league-leader Bowling Green (Oct. 9) and at Toledo (Oct. 16).

Speaking of the Falcons, the defending MAC regular season and tournament champions enter the week with a 12-6 overall record, including an unblemished 8-0 league ledger. Ball State and Bowling Green will face off Friday, Oct. 29, in Worthen Arena in what could be the de facto MAC regular season championship match.

The Cardinals are coming off another strong weekend in which the team hit an impressive .311 to earn a pair of sweeps over Northern Illinois. It started with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-17) Friday win in which BSU hit .321 as a team and nominated at the net with 13.0 total blocks. Ball State followed with another 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-23) victory Saturday, hitting .302 as a squad.

One of the keys to the Cardinals' success this season has been the team's ability to spread out its offense and keep opponents guessing on every swing. Four different Ball State players enter the weekend averaging at least 2.36 kills per set, while six are smashing at least 1.67 kills per set.

Outside Jaclyn Bulmahn leads the club with a 2.92 kills-per-set average, while opposite Natalie Mitchem is not far behind at 2.64. Rounding out the top four attackers are outside Emily Hollowell (2.41) and middle Marie Plitt (2.36).

The BSU's offense is also connecting at a league-best .265 clip this season, well ahead of Bowling Green in second which is hitting .245 as a squad. In fact, the Cardinals have hit .200-or-above in 19 of its 20 matches this season, including above .300 marks five times.

Playing a large role in guiding the offense has been setter Megan Wielonski who is fourth in the MAC with a 10.26 assist-per-set average. In fact, Wielonski set Ball State to a .476 attack percentage in the sweep of St. Thomas (Aug. 27), which ranks as the third-best single match team performance in program history.

Defensive specialist Kate Vinson leads the Ball State defense with a 3.34 dig-per-set average. Outside hitter Natalie Risi is second on the team at 3.07 digs per set, while last weekend's libero Maggie Huber is third at 2.52.

At the net, Gilliland leads the squad and is 10th in the league at 0.95 blocks per set, while junior middle Marie Plitt is not far behind at 0.74.

As a team, the Cardinals are limiting opponents to a .206 attack percentage and rank fifth in the MAC at 2.06 blocks per set and eighth in the league at 14.91 digs per set.

BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL QUICK HITS:

In addition to leading the MAC and ranking 26th nationally with a .265 team attack percentage, Ball State features the top two attackers in the league based on attack percentage … Middle Lauren Gilliland leads the conference and is 55th nationally at .367, while middle Marie Plitt is second in the MAC and 65th nationally at .361.
Setter Megan Wielonski enters the weekend ranked ninth nationally with her 780 total assists, while her 10.26 assists-per-set average is 45th … Wielonski is also putting up big numbers in the backcourt with 10 assist/dig double-doubles this season … In fact, her 191 total digs, including a career-high 21 at Wright State (Sept 3), are third on the squad.
In addition to being one of the top setters in the MAC, Megan Wielonski has also proven to be its top server ranking first at 0.45 aces per set … In fact, Wielonski's 34 service aces, including a career-high seven vs. Ohio (Sept. 30), are first in the league and rank 16th among all NCAA Division I players nationwide.
Outside Jaclyn Bulmahn has made her presence felt in the Ball State lineup, leading the squad with a 2.92 kills-per-set average … A First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference selection at Valparaiso last season, Bulmahn has reached double digits in 14 matches so far this season, including a season-high 19 kills in the Sept. 25 sweep at Kent State … The 19 kills tie as the most in a three-set match in the MAC this season and are four shy of her career-high 23 set versus Southern Illinois (Feb. 14, 2021) during her 2021 spring season at Valpo.
Jaclyn Bulmahn enters Tuesday's match versus Toledo with 878 career kills, including 219 so far in her first season at Ball State … Her career-best for kills in a season is 277 set her junior year at Valpo, while she averaged a career-best 3.05 kills per set for the Beacons last season.
Opposite Natalie Mitchem has gotten off to a strong start in 2021, ranking second on the team with a 2.64 kills-per-set average … She has smashed double-digit kills in 11 of BSU's 20 matches, including a season-high 16 in the win over Wright State (Sept. 3) … She's also turned in a strong effort at the net, averaging 0.72 blocks per set with at least one block in 19 matches, including tying her career high with seven blocks last Friday vs. Northern Illinois (Oct. 15).
So far this season, the Cardinals have turned to three different liberos, most recently having Maggie Huber suit up in the off-colored jersey versus NIU … Huber did a solid job in the role, averaging 5.17 digs per set against the Huskies … Defensive specialist Kate Vinson was BSU's libero for the first 10 matches of the season, and currently ranks 13th in the MAC with 224 total digs … Natalie Risi took over the role for the next eight matches, and is 11th in the league with 231 total digs … Vinson averages a team-best 3.34 digs per set for the year, while Risi is second on the squad at 3.04.
Natalie Risi move back to the left side for this weekend's series versus Northern Illinois and did not disappoint … She set the tone for the Ball State block in Friday's win over the Huskies, registering solo blocks on two of the match's first five points … She tallied three total solo blocks in the match, and added another late in Saturday's third set, helping the Cardinals stomp out an NIU rally attempt … Risi entered the weekend with just five solo blocks in her first 70 career matches … She tallied four last weekend, to go along with 15 kills, 16 digs and a pair of block assists.
Ball State enters Tuesday's match with a 958-623-2 (.606) all-time record in women's volleyball in its 50th season of play … In addition, the Cardinals own a 408-212 (.658) all-time record in Mid-American Conference play ... The only program with a better all-time league mark is Western Michigan at 413-208 (.665) ... Toledo is 11th all-time based on winning percentage at 189-430 (.305).
With a 6-0 record at home so far this season, the Cardinals own a 287-93 (.755) all-time record in Worthen Arena … BSU is even more dominate in Worthen Arena in MAC play, with a 209-57 (.786) mark … Ball State holds a 25-3 (.893) edge versus Toledo on its current home court, with the Rockets last win in Worthen Arena coming by a score of 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-18) on Sept. 29, 2016.
Ball State holds a 69-11 advantage in the all-time series versus Toledo after the teams split a pair of regular season meetings during the 2020-21 spring season … The Rockets won the first match by a score of 3-2 (25-17, 17-25, 25-21, 20-25, 21-19) played at Savage Arena Feb. 4, 2021 … The Cardinals followed with a five-set road win the next night, taking the Feb. 5, 2021 meeting 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 25-19, 15-25, 15-10) … BSU has won the last three matches played in Worthen Arena, including a thrilling 3-2 (17-25, 25-15, 26-28, 20-25, 21-19) win on Halloween in 2019 … Ball State holds a 33-4 edge in all-time matches played in Muncie, including a 25-3 mark in Worthen Arena.

Volleyball Welcomes Toledo To Worthen For Tuesday Divisional Showdown

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Players Mentioned

Jaclyn Bulmahn

Lauren Gilliland

Emily Hollowell

Maggie Huber

Natalie Mitchem

Marie Plitt

Natalie Risi

Kate Vinson

Megan Wielonski