Friday, August 25
Muncie, IN
7 p.m.
Ball State University
1-0,0-0MAC
3
vs
0
Gonzaga
0-2,0-0WCC
1
2
3
F
Gonzaga
17
19
18
0
Ball St.
25
25
25
3
Volleyball Sweeps Its Way Past Gonzaga In Season Opener
August 25, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - Â Fifth-year middle Marie Plitt picked up right where she left off last season, hitting a match-best .500 (13-1-24) to lead the Ball State women's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-18) sweep of Gonzaga Friday night inside Worthen Arena.
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Plitt, who hit a single-season program record .404 last season, started with six kills in the opening set and never looked back, leading all players with 13. She was one of four Cardinals (1-0) to tally double-digit kills in the contest, joined by senior outside Cait Snyder with 11, senior middle Lauren Gilliland with 10, and sophomore outside Madison Buckley with a career-high 10.
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"I couldn't be more excited about the crowd we had tonight," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said after the win. "That set the tone from the beginning of what we are going to be in this new season. We had a really balanced offense, and while we left a couple plays on the table, for our first match we came out ready and prepared. It's a great start."
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Running the offense to a .309 (49-15-110) hitting percentage on the night was reigning Mid-American Conference Setter of the Year Megan Wielonski. The junior handed out 36 total assists and helped keep the Bulldogs' (0-2) defense off-balance the entire match. Wielonski, who also tallied 10 digs for her 38th career double-double, has led the Ball State offense to a .300-or-better attack percentage in 19 of her 68 matches as the program's starting setter.
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Wielonski also continued to make an impact from the service line, registering a match-high three aces to raise her career total to 107. The total currently stands 15th in program history.
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Leading the Ball State backcourt was fifth-year libero Havyn Gates with 11 digs. She was also one of six Cardinals to earn a perfect reception percentage on the night, going 9-for-9 in serve receive. Junior defensive specialist Kendall Seimet led the way in that category, going 11-for-11 while adding five digs.
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In addition to smashing 10 kills each, Gilliland finished the night hitting .429 (10-21-21) and Buckley connected at a .389 (10-3-18) clip.
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In the opening set, the Cardinals trailed 9-7 early, only to post a 13-1 run to take control of the frame. The second set saw Gonzaga pull ahead 4-3 early, but a 5-1 run gave Ball State another lead it would not relinquish. The Bulldogs were again up 4-3 in the third set, only to see a 4-0 run give the hosts control and ultimately end the night with a marker from Buckley.
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The Cardinals continue play in the Ball State Invitational on Saturday (Aug. 25) with matches versus Oklahoma (1 p.m.) and Purdue Fort Wayne (7 p.m.). Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN+ and Ball State Sports Link digital radio.
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Plitt, who hit a single-season program record .404 last season, started with six kills in the opening set and never looked back, leading all players with 13. She was one of four Cardinals (1-0) to tally double-digit kills in the contest, joined by senior outside Cait Snyder with 11, senior middle Lauren Gilliland with 10, and sophomore outside Madison Buckley with a career-high 10.
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"I couldn't be more excited about the crowd we had tonight," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said after the win. "That set the tone from the beginning of what we are going to be in this new season. We had a really balanced offense, and while we left a couple plays on the table, for our first match we came out ready and prepared. It's a great start."
Â
Running the offense to a .309 (49-15-110) hitting percentage on the night was reigning Mid-American Conference Setter of the Year Megan Wielonski. The junior handed out 36 total assists and helped keep the Bulldogs' (0-2) defense off-balance the entire match. Wielonski, who also tallied 10 digs for her 38th career double-double, has led the Ball State offense to a .300-or-better attack percentage in 19 of her 68 matches as the program's starting setter.
Â
Wielonski also continued to make an impact from the service line, registering a match-high three aces to raise her career total to 107. The total currently stands 15th in program history.
Â
Leading the Ball State backcourt was fifth-year libero Havyn Gates with 11 digs. She was also one of six Cardinals to earn a perfect reception percentage on the night, going 9-for-9 in serve receive. Junior defensive specialist Kendall Seimet led the way in that category, going 11-for-11 while adding five digs.
Â
In addition to smashing 10 kills each, Gilliland finished the night hitting .429 (10-21-21) and Buckley connected at a .389 (10-3-18) clip.
Â
In the opening set, the Cardinals trailed 9-7 early, only to post a 13-1 run to take control of the frame. The second set saw Gonzaga pull ahead 4-3 early, but a 5-1 run gave Ball State another lead it would not relinquish. The Bulldogs were again up 4-3 in the third set, only to see a 4-0 run give the hosts control and ultimately end the night with a marker from Buckley.
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The Cardinals continue play in the Ball State Invitational on Saturday (Aug. 25) with matches versus Oklahoma (1 p.m.) and Purdue Fort Wayne (7 p.m.). Both contests will be streamed live on ESPN+ and Ball State Sports Link digital radio.
Team Stats
Gonz
BSU
Kills
34
49
Errors
14
15
Attempts
107
110
Hitting %
.187
.309
Points
40.0
58.0
Assists
33
44
Aces
2
5
Blocks
4
4
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
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