Friday, September 20
Muncie, IN
6 p.m.
Ball State University
7-4,0-0MAC
3
vs
2
Wright State
7-3,0-0Horizon
1
2
3
4
5
F
Wright St.
24
25
20
25
8
2
Ball St.
26
23
25
14
15
3
Women’s Volleyball Tops Wright State in Instant Classic
September 20, 2024 | Women's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - After playing its first 10 regular season matches on the road, the Ball State women's volleyball team gave its 1,220 fans in attendance a show Friday night in Worthen Arena, topping a talented Wright State squad by a final score of 3-2 (26-24, 23-25, 25-20, 14-25, 15-8).
"I knew it was going to be a battle," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "Watching Wright State, they have a great ball control team, are very fundamentally sound, and have big, physical attackers in a lot of different positions. I felt like we started out hot and coasted there in the middle. Wright State took advantage of that. Power to Aayinde; I thought she was a huge piece of set five. Carson, obviously was a huge all night and Kendall Seimet's serves at the end. We had enough people do enough things there in set five."
In its final non-conference match of the season, the Cardinals (7-4) left it all on the new Taraflex court, hitting the gas a just the right time in the fifth set. Up by just one at the 8-7 mark, kills from sophomore middle Camryn Wise and junior opposite Madison Buckley forced a Raiders (7-3) timeout.
Moments later, a kill from freshman outside Carson Tyler gave Ball State an 11-8 edge and sent senior defensive specialist Kendall Seimet to the service line. Seimet would proceed to serve out the match, keeping a WSU serve receive off balance and helping BSU secure the night's final four points.
The Raiders, who receive votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll after topping 20th-ranked Miami (Fla.) last weekend, could not stop Tyler in her Worthen Arena regular season debut. Tyler smashed a career-high 25 kills and hit a solid .327 (25-9-49) in the win. She was just as solid in the backcourt, boasting a .919 reception percentage on a match-high 34 attempts, while collecting seven digs.
"Carson's done great job, and it doesn't surprise me," Phillips said. "Those are things I felt like she had done in club, and I felt like would translate over. She works really hard and she's consistent all the time. She has great composure. She's a competitor and we needed every single one of those kills tonight."
Joining Tyler in double digit kills were sophomore outside Kendall Barnes with 11 and Buckley with 10. Led by their efforts, and the setting of senior Megan Wielsonski, the Cardinals hit .225 (62-26-160) off one of the nation's top defensive teams. The Raiders entered the night holding opponents to a .185 rate of success.
Ball State was just as solid on defense, limiting a WSU attack which entered the night hitting .247 to just a .181 (58-28-166) mark. It was Wright State's second-lowest hitting effort of the season.
In addition to running the offense and handing out 50 assists, Wielonski led the Cardinals defense with 19 digs. It was her fourth double-double of the season. She also was credited with four kills and three block assists.
At the net, graduate middle Aayinde Smith came up huge, with a Ball State career-high seven total blocks. The effort included three solo blocks, including a momentum builder to give Ball State an 8-5 lead at the court switch in the fifth set.
Sam Ott led the Wright State offense with 16 kills, while Jenny Wessling collected a match-high 25 digs.
Up next for the Cardinals, #MACtion with Bowling Green set to visit Worthen Arena next Friday (Sept. 27) and Saturday (Sept. 28).
"I knew it was going to be a battle," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "Watching Wright State, they have a great ball control team, are very fundamentally sound, and have big, physical attackers in a lot of different positions. I felt like we started out hot and coasted there in the middle. Wright State took advantage of that. Power to Aayinde; I thought she was a huge piece of set five. Carson, obviously was a huge all night and Kendall Seimet's serves at the end. We had enough people do enough things there in set five."
In its final non-conference match of the season, the Cardinals (7-4) left it all on the new Taraflex court, hitting the gas a just the right time in the fifth set. Up by just one at the 8-7 mark, kills from sophomore middle Camryn Wise and junior opposite Madison Buckley forced a Raiders (7-3) timeout.
Moments later, a kill from freshman outside Carson Tyler gave Ball State an 11-8 edge and sent senior defensive specialist Kendall Seimet to the service line. Seimet would proceed to serve out the match, keeping a WSU serve receive off balance and helping BSU secure the night's final four points.
The Raiders, who receive votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll after topping 20th-ranked Miami (Fla.) last weekend, could not stop Tyler in her Worthen Arena regular season debut. Tyler smashed a career-high 25 kills and hit a solid .327 (25-9-49) in the win. She was just as solid in the backcourt, boasting a .919 reception percentage on a match-high 34 attempts, while collecting seven digs.
"Carson's done great job, and it doesn't surprise me," Phillips said. "Those are things I felt like she had done in club, and I felt like would translate over. She works really hard and she's consistent all the time. She has great composure. She's a competitor and we needed every single one of those kills tonight."
Joining Tyler in double digit kills were sophomore outside Kendall Barnes with 11 and Buckley with 10. Led by their efforts, and the setting of senior Megan Wielsonski, the Cardinals hit .225 (62-26-160) off one of the nation's top defensive teams. The Raiders entered the night holding opponents to a .185 rate of success.
Ball State was just as solid on defense, limiting a WSU attack which entered the night hitting .247 to just a .181 (58-28-166) mark. It was Wright State's second-lowest hitting effort of the season.
In addition to running the offense and handing out 50 assists, Wielonski led the Cardinals defense with 19 digs. It was her fourth double-double of the season. She also was credited with four kills and three block assists.
At the net, graduate middle Aayinde Smith came up huge, with a Ball State career-high seven total blocks. The effort included three solo blocks, including a momentum builder to give Ball State an 8-5 lead at the court switch in the fifth set.
Sam Ott led the Wright State offense with 16 kills, while Jenny Wessling collected a match-high 25 digs.
Up next for the Cardinals, #MACtion with Bowling Green set to visit Worthen Arena next Friday (Sept. 27) and Saturday (Sept. 28).
Team Stats
WSU
BSU
Kills
58
62
Errors
28
26
Attempts
166
160
Hitting %
.181
.225
Points
75.0
76.0
Assists
57
60
Aces
6
3
Blocks
11
11
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
25
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOPP
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballMH
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