WVB Rallies Past Central Michigan Friday Night

Friday, March 19

Muncie, IN

7 p.m.

Ball State University

8-9,8-9MAC

Central Michigan

9-9,9-9MAC

Central Mich.

Ball St.

Photo by: Samantha Blankenship (Ball State Creative Services)

March 19, 2021 | Women's Volleyball

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MUNCIE, Ind. - - With the momentum starting to shift the way of the Ball State women's volleyball team early in the fifth set, sophomore middle Marie Plitt took it up a notch.

She started by combining with senior outside Kia Holder for a big block of Central Michigan's Kamryn Olson, giving Ball State a 5-2 lead.

On the other side of the court on the next rally, she combined with sophomore opposite Natalie Mitchem, this time denying the Chippewas' (9-9, 9-9 Mid-American Conference) leading attacker Savannah Thompson, moving the score to 6-2.

The Cardinals (8-9, 8-9 MAC) controlled the play the rest of the way, winning the fifth set 15-11 to complete an exhilarating 3-2 (14-25, 25-17, 26-24, 23-25, 15-11) come-from-behind victory over Central Michigan Friday night in Worthen Arena.

"You have to be able to finish sets in this league," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "With the parity we have in the MAC this year, it comes down to who finishes matches. Our team is building confidence and you have to win these tight matches to have a chance in the tournament. I think we are going to continue to gain confidence, and hopefully keep getting better and better."

Overall, it was a third straight double-digit blocking match for the Cardinals who finished the contest with 14.0 total blocks.

Ball State was just as tough and scrappy in the backcourt, however, with four players logging double-figure digs. Sophomore libero Natalie Risi led the way with 18 digs, but redshirt sophomore setter Esther Grussing also made her presence felt with a career-high 15.

"I would say the team trusts me and expects me to get those digs," Grussing said about her career night on defense. "They know I'm going to be there for them, getting as many digs as I can. It was a good feeling!"

Grussing also dished out 44 assists for her third double-double of the season, while helping the team as a whole connect for a .237 (58-18-169) rate of success.

"Esther has to do a lot for us," Phillips said "I think she's done a really good job spreading our offense and she's a critical piece in finishing sets. That's one of those things we have talked a lot with her about. I credit her a lot for her willingness to be coachable, to watch film, to just gain confidence that she can set anybody in any situation. Then tonight, she really put an emphasis on picking up her back row defense."

Moving to the front row, senior outside Kia Holder had another impressive performance to open her senior weekend, smashing 18 kills and hitting .224 (18-7-49). She also had a hand in five blocks.

"I think it means a lot of things, Kia playing great, especially for senior weekend," Grussing said about the team's senior leader. "I think it just has to be a great feeling for her and it was a great feeling for the team as well."

Freshman outside Cait Snyder registered double-digit kills for the fourth consecutive match with 11. Plitt also finished the night with 11 kills and a .333 (11-1-30) attack percentage to go along with her match-high seven total blocks.

Mitchem also had a strong night for Ball State, smashing nine kills, hitting .333 (9-1-24) and earning six total blocks.

Thompson led the CMU attack with 17 kills, while Chippewas' libero Kendall Braate collected a match-high 19 digs.

The Cardinals survived a rough start to Friday's contest, coming back to win after dropping the opening set 25-14.

"The first set we just were not ourselves," Phillips said. "We were flat, on our heels defensively. As a staff, we tried to hit the reset button quickly to let them know we can't dwell on this. I thought we did a good job of being tough and bouncing back in set two, but we have to learn that we can't do that in future matches."

The Ball State will host the Chippewas again Saturday afternoon in a 1 p.m. first serve at Worthen Arena.