Thursday, September 25
Buffalo, NY
6 p.m.
Ball State University
5-8,1-0MAC
3
at
0
Buffalo
3-7,0-1MAC
1
2
3
F
Ball St.
25
25
25
3
Buffalo
21
23
17
0
Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics
Women’s Volleyball Opens #MACtion with Sweep of Buffalo
September 25, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, N.Y. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team hit a season-high .430 (51-8-100) to open the 2025 Mid-American Conference season with a dominating 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-17) sweep of Buffalo Thursday evening at Alumni Arena.
Leading the charge for the Cardinals (5-8; 1-0 MAC) was sophomore outside Carson Tyler who blasted a match-high 18 kills and hit a blistering .485 (18-2-33). Tyler, who has reached double-digit kills in all 13 matches this season, also served up two of Ball State's three aces and tallied five digs.
Not far behind on the offensive front was graduate outside Noelle VanOort who chipped in 12 kills and hit .440 (12-1-25). She fell just shy of her seventh double-double of the season with nine digs.
Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness split the setting duties in the MAC opener, with 23 and 13 assists, respectively. Green added five digs, two kills and Ball State's other ace, while Axness chipped in six digs.
Overall, seven different Cardinals earned at least two kills, while sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter led all players with 12 digs.
The Bulls (3-7; 0-1 MAC) offense was paced by 15 kills from Emerson Matthews and nine from Manoela Forlin. The Ball State defense was able to limit the Buffalo offense to a .236 (43-17-110) attack percentage and allowed just two aces. Maddie Mitchell and Keira Kleidon tied for team-high honors with seven digs.
While Buffalo scored the opening point of the match, back-to-back kills from VanOort helped Ball State put together a 7-1 run to take early control of the match. Buffalo would manage to tie the score at 16 before a kill and ace from Tyler turned the tide. The Cardinals would go on to win the set 25-21, with the 20th point coming from junior middle Camryn Wise who went 4-for-4 in the set.
Wise would add a kill to open the second, as Ball State pulled ahead by six early at 11-5.The Cardinals would maintain a five-point edge at 20-15 off a Green kill, only to see Buffalo battle back to even the score at 22. With the score tied at 23, a Tyler kill gave BSU set point, while a Bulls attack error ended the frame.
Buffalo looked poised to get back in the match by scoring the first four points in the third. However, the Cardinals answered with a 7-2 run to claim a one-point edge at 7-6. With the score deadlocked at nine, one of junior middle Gwen Crull's five kills on the night sparked a seven-point Ball State run. The Cardinals then cruised to victory, with VanOort depositing the match-winner.
The Ball State women's volleyball team continues MAC play Friday with a 6 p.m. first serve at Akron.
Leading the charge for the Cardinals (5-8; 1-0 MAC) was sophomore outside Carson Tyler who blasted a match-high 18 kills and hit a blistering .485 (18-2-33). Tyler, who has reached double-digit kills in all 13 matches this season, also served up two of Ball State's three aces and tallied five digs.
Not far behind on the offensive front was graduate outside Noelle VanOort who chipped in 12 kills and hit .440 (12-1-25). She fell just shy of her seventh double-double of the season with nine digs.
Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness split the setting duties in the MAC opener, with 23 and 13 assists, respectively. Green added five digs, two kills and Ball State's other ace, while Axness chipped in six digs.
Overall, seven different Cardinals earned at least two kills, while sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter led all players with 12 digs.
The Bulls (3-7; 0-1 MAC) offense was paced by 15 kills from Emerson Matthews and nine from Manoela Forlin. The Ball State defense was able to limit the Buffalo offense to a .236 (43-17-110) attack percentage and allowed just two aces. Maddie Mitchell and Keira Kleidon tied for team-high honors with seven digs.
While Buffalo scored the opening point of the match, back-to-back kills from VanOort helped Ball State put together a 7-1 run to take early control of the match. Buffalo would manage to tie the score at 16 before a kill and ace from Tyler turned the tide. The Cardinals would go on to win the set 25-21, with the 20th point coming from junior middle Camryn Wise who went 4-for-4 in the set.
Wise would add a kill to open the second, as Ball State pulled ahead by six early at 11-5.The Cardinals would maintain a five-point edge at 20-15 off a Green kill, only to see Buffalo battle back to even the score at 22. With the score tied at 23, a Tyler kill gave BSU set point, while a Bulls attack error ended the frame.
Buffalo looked poised to get back in the match by scoring the first four points in the third. However, the Cardinals answered with a 7-2 run to claim a one-point edge at 7-6. With the score deadlocked at nine, one of junior middle Gwen Crull's five kills on the night sparked a seven-point Ball State run. The Cardinals then cruised to victory, with VanOort depositing the match-winner.
The Ball State women's volleyball team continues MAC play Friday with a 6 p.m. first serve at Akron.
Team Stats
BSU
UB
Kills
51
43
Errors
8
17
Attempts
100
110
Hitting %
.430
.236
Points
56.0
45.0
Assists
46
40
Aces
3
2
Blocks
2
0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
18
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
MH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
MH
/ Women's VolleyballWomen's Volleyball // Wise and VanOort Reaction
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