Ball State University Athletics
Friday, November 3
Kalamazoo, MI
6 p.m.
Ball State University
14-11,11-3MAC
1
at
3
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
24-2,14-0MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Ball St.
29
21
21
19
1
Western Mich.
27
25
25
25
3
Cardinals Fall to Western Michigan in Grudge-Match Battle of MAC's Top Two Teams
November 03, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
KALAMAZOO, Mich. – In a battle of the top two teams in the Mid-American Conference, Ball State's Aniya Kennedy tied a career high with a match-high 25 kills, but it wasn't enough to stop Western Michigan from earning its 14th straight victory.
Western Michigan (24-2, 14-0 MAC) stymied the second-place Cardinals while earning a hard-fought win in a tight match that solidified the Broncos' hold on first place in the MAC standings. Ball State (14-11, 11-3 MAC) ended a two-game win streak but hopes to derail the Broncos when the teams meet again Saturday afternoon.
Kennedy and Marie Plitt each had four blocks to lead the Cardinals who led at points of every game. Plitt and Madison Buckley each added nine kills for Ball State. Plitt hit .375 for the match, swinging 24 times over four games without an error.
The Cardinals hit .199 for the match compared to .266 for the homestanding Broncos who were led by Mary Clare Brusek and Keona Salesman who tallied 19 and 18 kills, respectively. Brusek hit .531 with just two errors in 31 swings.
Ball State trailed 21-14 in Game 1 before a spark from Kennedy helped the Cardinals fight back to extend the set and win 29-27. In the first game alone, Kennedy totaled nine kills with a pair of blocks.
The Broncos withstood a Cardinal comeback in Game 2 though, taking command in an early see-saw battle before Ball State climbed within 21-20. WMU scored four of the last points for the win.
In Game 3, it was the Broncos' turn for a comeback. After Ball State led 21-18, Western Michigan scored seven straight points to lead the match. A back-and-forth dual in Game 4 produced a similar ending with WMU scoring five of the last six points to secure the game and the match.
Ball State | 29 – 21 – 21 -- 19
Western Mich. | 27 – 25 – 25 -- 25
Follow the Cardinals
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Western Michigan (24-2, 14-0 MAC) stymied the second-place Cardinals while earning a hard-fought win in a tight match that solidified the Broncos' hold on first place in the MAC standings. Ball State (14-11, 11-3 MAC) ended a two-game win streak but hopes to derail the Broncos when the teams meet again Saturday afternoon.
Kennedy and Marie Plitt each had four blocks to lead the Cardinals who led at points of every game. Plitt and Madison Buckley each added nine kills for Ball State. Plitt hit .375 for the match, swinging 24 times over four games without an error.
The Cardinals hit .199 for the match compared to .266 for the homestanding Broncos who were led by Mary Clare Brusek and Keona Salesman who tallied 19 and 18 kills, respectively. Brusek hit .531 with just two errors in 31 swings.
Ball State trailed 21-14 in Game 1 before a spark from Kennedy helped the Cardinals fight back to extend the set and win 29-27. In the first game alone, Kennedy totaled nine kills with a pair of blocks.
The Broncos withstood a Cardinal comeback in Game 2 though, taking command in an early see-saw battle before Ball State climbed within 21-20. WMU scored four of the last points for the win.
In Game 3, it was the Broncos' turn for a comeback. After Ball State led 21-18, Western Michigan scored seven straight points to lead the match. A back-and-forth dual in Game 4 produced a similar ending with WMU scoring five of the last six points to secure the game and the match.
Ball State | 29 – 21 – 21 -- 19
Western Mich. | 27 – 25 – 25 -- 25
Follow the Cardinals
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)
Team Stats
BSU
WMU
Kills
60
66
Errors
24
20
Attempts
181
173
Hitting %
.199
.266
Points
70.0
74.0
Assists
59
62
Aces
2
4
Blocks
8
4
Game Leaders
Kills
25
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballBall State Sports Link: SL Featured (November 2025)
Tuesday, November 25
Women's Volleyball // MAC Tournament Preview
Thursday, November 20
This Week in Ball State Sports Podcast // Mike Uremovich, Jeff Mitchell & Kelli Miller Phillips
Thursday, November 20
Women's Volleyball // MAC Regular Season Champions Celebration
Monday, November 17