13 Straight; Volleyball Serves Up Senior Night Sweep

MUNCIE, Ind. - - It was a perfect night for the Ball State women's volleyball six-member senior class, as they celebrated senior night with a 3-0 (25-16, 26-16, 25-18) sweep of Kent State Friday in Worthen Arena.

For one senior, it was an extra special occasion, as opposite Natalie Mitchem blasted her 1,000th career kill early in the opening frame to set the tone for the Cardinals (21-6; 13-2 Mid-American Conference) who earned their fourth consecutive sweep.

In addition to being the team's fourth consecutive sweep, it was Ball State's 13th consecutive win overall and helped the Cardinals clinch at least a share of the 2022 MAC West Division Championship with three matches remaining in the regular season.

"I went into this match feeling good, and left feeling good," Mitchem said about her performance. "Getting my 1,000th kill on senior night meant a lot. It's a special night itself but being able to accomplish that is a big deal for me."

Mitchem finished the match tied for team-high honors with 12 kills, raising her career total to 1,009. She also hit an impressive .478 (12-1-23), helping BSU finish the match with a .345 (48-9-113) attacking mark.

"Getting 1,000 career kills is a special deal, it's not easy," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "I'm happy for Natalie and extremely proud of her. It's a culmination of so much hard work over a really long period of time. She earned it tonight, played great again, and hopefully she can build on this performance as she finishes her senior season."

In addition to Mitchem's magic moment in the opening set, there was another special moment at the end of the contest as senior opposite Allison Hamaker blasted the match-winning kill. She also tallied a dig late in the opening set and a block assist in the third frame.

"I know that was a special moment for Allison and the team," Phillips said. "She works so hard every day. She's behind Mitchem, whose been playing at a super-high level, but she comes in, grinds, and works hard. She has great energy every single day. It was special for her because she truly earned it. That was what was nice about tonight, every single senior got in and played some significant minutes. That's a special thing and they all deserved it; it was special to see."

Speaking of the other seniors celebrated on the night, libero Maggie Huber led all players with 16 digs. Outside Natalie Risi blasted five kills and earned seven digs, while being credited with a perfect reception percentage on 27 attempts.

Middle Cailyn Bolser added four kills on five swings for a .800 attack percentage, while also tying for match-high honors with three total blocks. Setter Julianna Cramer added three assists and a dig, including a helper on Hamaker's match-ending swing.

While they are both set to return for the 2023 season, senior middle Marie Plitt added eight kills and a .364 (8-0-22) hitting mark, while senior defensive specialist Havyn Gates ranked second on the squad with eight digs.

Rounding out Ball State's top contributors were junior outside Cait Snyder with 12 kills and a .450 (12-3-20) attacking mark and sophomore setter Megan Wielonski with 32 assists, six digs, a season-high tying four service aces, and four kills.

Leading the Golden Flashes (13-13; 4-11 MAC) on offense was Mackenzie McGuire with a match-high 13 kills. Bryn Roberts led a trio of KSU players in double figures with 12 digs.

Overall, the Ball State defense limited Kent State to a .196 (37-16-107) hitting mark, holding a 51-to-50 edge in digs and a 4.0-to-3.0 advantage in total blocks. BSU also out-aced KSU 7-to-1.

The Ball State women's volleyball team will hit the road next weekend for a pivotal two-match series at Ohio. The Cardinals and Bobcats will square off at 7 p.m. Friday and 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio.

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Team Stats

Natalie Mitchem

Cait Snyder

Marie Plitt

Natalie Risi