Saturday, November 9
Toledo, OH
4 p.m.
Ball State University
18-8,11-4MAC
3
at
0
Toledo
15-13,8-8MAC
1
2
3
F
Ball St.
25
25
25
3
Toledo
21
13
20
0
Volleyball Serves Up Toledo in Saturday Sweep
November 09, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
TOLEDO, Ohio - - Sophomore setter Lindsey Green went to the service line with the Ball State women's volleyball team leading 6-5 in the second set. Nine points later, including five aces, the Cardinals (18-8; 11-4 Mid-American Conference) were well on its way to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-20) sweep of Toledo Saturday afternoon at Savage Arena.
"Service pressure played a huge role in our success this weekend," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "It kept Toledo off the net and allowed our defense to get in good spots consistently. We have to keep that type of pressure on people the rest of the way."
In fact, the team tied a season high with 11 total aces to complete the weekend sweep of the Rockets (15-13; 8-8 MAC) and secure a berth in the 2024 MAC Volleyball Championship.
"It feels good to lock in a tournament spot, but we know our work is long from done," Phillips said. "We have to keep building on the things we're doing well, and above all, keep the team healthy. Five matches in nine days is a lot of volleyball, so we have to be diligent in our recovery and get ready to play again on Tuesday."
Green finished the match with her five aces, while freshman outside Carson Tyler added a pair in addition to tying for team-high honors with eight kills. Four other Cardinals served up one ace to help guide Ball State to its eighth consecutive win, its seventh straight sweep and a program record 16-set winning streak on the road.
"I like our focus on the road, and I think our tough stretch in the non-conference season helped prepare us for MAC play and hopefully for a big finish," Phillips added. "Again, we still have a lot of season left to play, so we want to feel confident but also keep working to make sure we peak at the right time."
Junior outside Katie Egenolf also smashed eight kills, while graduate middle Aayinde Smith blasted second and redshirt sophomore opposite Aniya Kennedy added six. Overall, eight different Cardinals collected at least one kill as Ball State hit an impressive .337 (39-7-95) in the win.
The effort marked the fifth time in the 10 matches senior setter Megan Wielonski and Green have guided the offense to a .300-or-better hitting mark since moving to the 6-2 offense. Wielonski finished the night with 19 assists, while Green handed out 15. Both were also solid in the backcourt, collecting six and five digs, respectively.
Meanwhile, freshman libero Sophie Ledbetter was credited with a match-high 20 digs for her fourth match with 20-or-more digs this season. Tyler finished the night with seven digs, while boasting a perfect reception percentage in 18 attempts.
"Sophie continues to get more confident and expanding her range on defense," Phillips said. "She's been working really hard in practice and it's paying off."
At the net, sophomore middle Camryn Wise led all players with four total blocks, while Smith and junior opposite Madison Buckley tallied three each. Overall, Ball State out-blocked Toledo by a 7.0 to 2.0 margin.
On the Rockets side of the net, Taylor Alt earned a match-best 13 kills while Grace Freiberger led the squad with 19 digs. Toledo also finished the night hitting .181 (38-19-105) as a team.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Miami for a 6 p.m. first serve at Worthen Arena.
The match will serve as Hometown Heroes Night for the Cardinals, with first responders and medical staff receiving free admission when the show their badges or work IDs.
"Service pressure played a huge role in our success this weekend," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "It kept Toledo off the net and allowed our defense to get in good spots consistently. We have to keep that type of pressure on people the rest of the way."
In fact, the team tied a season high with 11 total aces to complete the weekend sweep of the Rockets (15-13; 8-8 MAC) and secure a berth in the 2024 MAC Volleyball Championship.
"It feels good to lock in a tournament spot, but we know our work is long from done," Phillips said. "We have to keep building on the things we're doing well, and above all, keep the team healthy. Five matches in nine days is a lot of volleyball, so we have to be diligent in our recovery and get ready to play again on Tuesday."
Green finished the match with her five aces, while freshman outside Carson Tyler added a pair in addition to tying for team-high honors with eight kills. Four other Cardinals served up one ace to help guide Ball State to its eighth consecutive win, its seventh straight sweep and a program record 16-set winning streak on the road.
"I like our focus on the road, and I think our tough stretch in the non-conference season helped prepare us for MAC play and hopefully for a big finish," Phillips added. "Again, we still have a lot of season left to play, so we want to feel confident but also keep working to make sure we peak at the right time."
Junior outside Katie Egenolf also smashed eight kills, while graduate middle Aayinde Smith blasted second and redshirt sophomore opposite Aniya Kennedy added six. Overall, eight different Cardinals collected at least one kill as Ball State hit an impressive .337 (39-7-95) in the win.
The effort marked the fifth time in the 10 matches senior setter Megan Wielonski and Green have guided the offense to a .300-or-better hitting mark since moving to the 6-2 offense. Wielonski finished the night with 19 assists, while Green handed out 15. Both were also solid in the backcourt, collecting six and five digs, respectively.
Meanwhile, freshman libero Sophie Ledbetter was credited with a match-high 20 digs for her fourth match with 20-or-more digs this season. Tyler finished the night with seven digs, while boasting a perfect reception percentage in 18 attempts.
"Sophie continues to get more confident and expanding her range on defense," Phillips said. "She's been working really hard in practice and it's paying off."
At the net, sophomore middle Camryn Wise led all players with four total blocks, while Smith and junior opposite Madison Buckley tallied three each. Overall, Ball State out-blocked Toledo by a 7.0 to 2.0 margin.
On the Rockets side of the net, Taylor Alt earned a match-best 13 kills while Grace Freiberger led the squad with 19 digs. Toledo also finished the night hitting .181 (38-19-105) as a team.
The Ball State women's volleyball team returns to action Tuesday when it hosts Miami for a 6 p.m. first serve at Worthen Arena.
The match will serve as Hometown Heroes Night for the Cardinals, with first responders and medical staff receiving free admission when the show their badges or work IDs.
Team Stats
BSU
UT
Kills
39
38
Errors
7
19
Attempts
95
105
Hitting %
.337
.181
Points
57.0
44.0
Assists
38
36
Aces
11
4
Blocks
7
2
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
8
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
8
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
OPP
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's VolleyballMH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MH
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