WVB's Busy Week Starts Tuesday at Miami

Ball State (8-8; 4-0 MAC) at Miami / hosts Toledo
Match 17 - at Miami (9-7; 3-1 MAC)	Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. ET ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Match 18 - hosts Toledo (13-3; 4-0 MAC)	Friday, Oct. 10 at 6 p.m. ET ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Match 19 - hosts Toledo (13-3; 4-0 MAC)	Saturday, Oct. 11 at 4 p.m. ET ESPN+ \| Live Stats
Notes	Ball State \| Miami \| Toledo
Social Media	X (Twitter) \| Instagram

THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: It will be a busy week for the Ball State women's volleyball team with three matches on the docket ... The first, a 6:30 p.m. Tuesday match up versus travel partner Miami at Millett Hall ... The Cardinals will then welcome Toledo to Worthen Arena for a pair of weekend matches ... The teams will battle at 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday.

THIS WEEK'S PROMOTIONS: Friday's match versus Toledo will be Red Out Night with all fans encouraged to wear red not only to the match, but for the entire #ChirpChirpFriday to show the Cardinals pride ... There will be a #RedOutTheRockets photo contest, a special appearance by Charlie Cardinal and more FUN throughout the night ... Saturday's match will be VolleyCards & Camper Day ... VolleyCards Club members are invited to a FREE post-match clinic, while everyone who attended one of Ball State women's volleyball's summer camps will receive FREE ADMISSION.

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans unable to attend this week's matches in person have several ways to follow the #MACtion ... All three contests will be broadcast live on ESPN+ ... Live stats will be available courtesy of both Miami and Ball State ... Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team's X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.

MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION: Ball State women's volleyball team received 102 points in the league's annual coaches' poll, trailing only defending regular season champion Bowling Green (119) ... With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, BGSU earned 10 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with the Cardinals claiming the other two ... The Falcons were also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with 10 votes, while Buffalo and Central Michigan each garnered one vote.

PRESEASON HONORS: In addition to the team rankings, the MAC announced its annual Preseason All-MAC Team ... Representing Ball State are sophomore outside Carson Tyler and sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter ... Tyler was named the 2024 MAC and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year after ranking first on the team and seventh in the league with a 3.34 kills-per-set average last season ... Ledbetter earned a nod on the 2024 MAC All-Freshman team after leading the squad and ranking 10th in the MAC with a 3.68 digs-per-set average.

BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters Tuesday's match at Miami with a 1042-666-2 (.610) all-time record in women's volleyball ... Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 ... All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 MAC West Division Championships, 10 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles ... Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons ... BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 326-103 (.760) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 242-62 (.796) ledger versus league foes ... Overall, no MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor ... This weekend's foe Toledo is 3-28 all-time in Worthen Arena.

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a perfect 4-0 record in MAC play this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 463-225 (.673) all-time MAC mark ... Western Michigan is second on the list, three matches behind the Cardinals at 460-228 (.669), while Miami is fourth at 401-287 (.583) and Toledo is 11th at 229-458 (.333).

SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• The Cardinals enter the week with an 8-8 overall record, including a perfect 4-0 mark in Mid-American Conference play ... One of only three undefeated teams in #MACtion, Ball State earned a 3-0 sweep of NIU last Thursday, before topping Western Michigan 3-1 Friday.
• In the initial 2025 NCAA RPI Rankings, the Ball State women's volleyball team is the highest ranked MAC program at 77 ... Toledo is the next-highest ranked MAC team at 109.
• Ball State enters the week as one of the nation's top terminating teams, ranking 11th nationally with 877 total kills ... 279 of those kills, which is fifth nationally, have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who also ranks first in the MAC and 30th nationally with a 4.29 kills-per-set average.
• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 47th nationally with a .255 team attack percentage ... Junior middle Camryn Wise is first in the league and 68th nationally with a .374 rate of success, while junior setter Lindsey Green ranks 73rd nationally with 507 total assists and owns a 7.92 assists-per-set average.

SCOUTING MIAMI:
• The RedHawks enter Tuesday's match with a 9-7 (3-1 MAC) record after suffering a 3-1 setback to Western Michigan Thursday, before rebounding to sweep Northern Illinois Friday ... Miami is currently 151 in the NCAA RPI Rankings, which is fourth among the league's 12 programs.
• Miami enters the week as one of the nation's top defensive teams, ranking 56th nationally with a 2.48 blocks-per-set average and 61st with a 15.22 digs-per-set average ... The RedHawks' 159.0 total blocks are currently eighth in the nation, while its 974 digs are 31st.
• Gentry Warrick leads the MAC and is 14th nationally with a 1.49 blocks-per-set average and has earned at least two blocks in all 16 matches, with a season-high 12 total blocks versus Ohio State (Sept. 3).
• The Cardinals currently hold a 50-39 lead in the all-time series versus Miami, including five straight wins ... Last season, the Cardinals picked up a 3-1 win at Millett Hall on Oct. 8 to improve to 20-18 all-time in matches played in Oxford ... Ball State also earned a 3-0 victory at home on Nov. 12 ... Miami's last victory was a hard-fought 3-2 win on its home court March 23, 2021, during the COVID-19 spring season.

SCOUTING TOLEDO:
• The Rockets enter the week with a 13-3 (4-0 MAC) record and will host Bowling Green in a Tuesday showdown of the only other undefeated league teams besides Ball State ... Last week, UT scored a 3-2 win at Central Michigan Friday and a 3-1 victory at Eastern Michigan Saturday.
• Toledo is one of the nation's toughest teams to score against, ranking third nationally with a .130 opponent's attack percentage ... The Rockets are also 95th nationally with a 2.32 blocks-per-set average and 138th nationally with a 14.17 digs-per-set average.
• The solid defense starts from the service line, with Toledo keeping teams off balance thanks to a strong serving game which ranks second nationally at 2.32 aces per set ... Toledo has served up 137 aces so far this season, which is fourth nationally, with three players having accumulated over 20 aces.
• Ball State holds a 77-12 edge in the all-time series versus Toledo, including three straight wins ... Last season, the Cardinals swept a pair of early November matches in Toledo (Nov. 8 and Nov. 9), before once again sweeping the Rockets in the quarterfinals of the MAC Women's Volleyball Championship ... The Cardinals hold a 36-4 lead in matches played in Muncie, including a 28-3 advantage in Worthen Arena ... Toledo's last win in Muncie was a 3-1 victory Sept. 29, 2016.

BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been one of the nation's top attackers so far this season, ranking fifth nationally with 279 kills for a MAC-best 4.29 kills-per-set average ... She has reached double-digit kills in all 16 matches so far this season, including a career-high 28 kills versus Cincinnati (Sept. 18), 26 kills versus James Madison (Sept. 14) and 21 kills at UConn (Sept. 5) ... Last season, Tyler averaged 3.34 kills per set to become the first player in program history to earn AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year accolades.

• With double-digit kills in all 16 matches this season, Carson Tyler has raised her career total to 38 matches ... She needs five more matches in double figures to break into the top 20 in program history at 43 ... In addition, Tyler is one of just nine players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least 10 career matches.

• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler is currently second on the squad with 168 digs this season ... She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in nine matches this season, with her latest coming in last Friday's 3-1 win over Western Michigan ... Tyler registered career-high 19 digs in the win at Marquette (Sept. 12) and collected 18 versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) and James Madison (Sept. 14) ... Tyler also leads Ball State's primary passers with a .971 reception percentage, successfully passing 367 of the 378 serves she has faced ... Tyler also led the Cardinals' primary passers with a .963 reception percentage last season by successfully passing 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.

• Graduate outside Noelle VanOort has made quite an impact during her first six weeks playing for the Cardinals, smashing 207 total kills, collecting 144 digs and hitting .257 (207-62-.257) ... A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has tallied double digit kills in 13 of BSU's 16 matches, including a season-high 20 kills twice ... Throw in 97 matches with double-figure kills during her career at Indiana Tech and VanOort has been credited with at least 10 kills in 110 collegiate matches ... She has also raised her collegiate total to 11 matches with 20+ kills, including a 20/20 effort Nov. 5, 2022, with 23 kills and 25 digs versus Siena Heights.

• Noelle VanOort has been just as solid on defense through the first six weeks, earning double-digit digs seven times, including a season-high 23 vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) ... The effort has raised her career total to 97 matches with double-digit digs, including her 90 at Indiana Tech ... It also helped her raise her collegiate kill/dig double-double total to 74, including six with Ball State and 68 with the Warriors.

• Prior to arriving at Ball State, Noelle VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American ... Her 1,724 career kills ranked second in program history, while her 1,648 career digs were sixth ... She also set the program standard with 282 career service aces ... She has continued to find success in her first five weeks playing for the Cardinals and enters the week with 1931 kills, 1792 digs and 293 aces over her collegiate career.

• With 20 kills each in the Aug. 31 match versus Cal Poly, Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler became the first Ball State duo to record 20-or-more kills in the same match since the 2007 season ... Brittany May and Julie Breivogel were the last players to do so with 21 and 20 kills, respectively, in an Oct. 5, 2027 match versus Western Michigan.

• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter paces the Ball State defense with 256 digs and a 3.94 digs-per-set average this season ... The total currently ranks second among MAC defenders, while the average is third ... Ledbetter has recorded double-digit digs in 14 of BSU's 16 matches, upping her career total to 37 ... The effort includes a career-high tying 27 digs versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20) and 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29).

• Sophie Ledbetter earned her first collegiate double-double versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs.

• Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness have combined to lead the Ball State offense to a .255 attack percentage so far this season which is first in the MAC and 47th nationally ... The mark includes a .285 rate of success over the team's four MAC matches ... Green, who dished out a career-high 51 assists twice this season, currently ranks eighth in the MAC with a 7.92 assists-per-set average, with her 507 total assists ranking 73rd nationally ... She also leads the squad with 22 service aces ... Axness, meanwhile, enters the week with a 4.23 assists-per-set average and has served up seven aces.

• Junior middle Gwen Crull has turned up the offensive heat over the last three weeks, reaching double-digit kills for the first four times in her collegiate career ... She started with a career-high 12 kills versus Cincinnati (Sept. 18) and followed with 11 two matches later versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20) ... She tied her career-high with 12 more kills at Akron (Sept. 26) and added 11 more last Friday vs. Western Michigan ... Crull also leads the Ball State defense with a 0.76 blocks-per-set average, including 10 total blocks last week.

• Junior middle Camryn Wise enters the week leading the Mid-American Conference with a .374 attack percentage ... She has hit .300-or-better in 11 of the team's 16 matches, paced by a season-high .579 (12-1-19) rate of success at Marquette (Sept. 12) ... Looking at just league matches, Wise's mark jumps up to .471 with just two errors on 51 swings, to go along with 26 kills ... Wise has hit at least .385 in all four MAC outings, starting with a .545 (6-0-11) effort at Buffalo (Sept. 25)

• Roster Update: Senior opposite Madison Buckley and redshirt junior outside attacker Aniya Kennedy will both miss the 2025 season as medical redshirts … Buckley was a 2024 First Team All-MAC selection after ranking second on the team in total blocks (90.0) and third in total kills (276) last season … Kennedy, the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection, ranked second on the squad with 279 kills last season and chipped in 43 total blocks.

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Players Mentioned

Reese Axness

Madison Buckley

Gwen Crull

Lindsey Green

Aniya Kennedy

Sophie Ledbetter

Carson Tyler

Noelle VanOort

Camryn Wise