Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Central Michigan
Volleyball Welcomes Central Michigan to Worthen Saturday Afternoon
October 08, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
| Ball State (11-5; 2-3 MAC) hosts Central Michigan (0-17; 0-4 MAC) | |
| Match 17 - hosts Central Michigan | Saturday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m. ET ESPN+ | Live Stats |
| Notes | Ball State | Central Michigan |
| Social Media | X (Twitter) | Instagram |
THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women's volleyball team closes its current two-match homestand Saturday when it welcomes Central Michigan to Worthen Arena for a 4 p.m. first serve.
THIS WEEK'S PROMOTIONS:
Saturday, Oct. 10 - Kids Club & Camper Day: Everyone who attended a Ball State women's volleyball summer camp session can receive free admission ... There will be a post-match clinic for all Kids Club members ... Junior announcer opportunities throughout the match.
FOLLOW THE ACTION: Saturday's match versus the Chippewas will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Matt Clark of Ball State Athletics calling the play-by-play ... Katie Tomasic, a four-year letterwinner and two-time First Team All-MAC honoree for the Miami RedHawks, returns as the color analyst, while Max Gillie from Ball State Sports Link will serve as sideline reporter ... For those unable to tune in or join in person, live stats will be available for the match courtesy of Ball State Athletics and updates will be provided on the team's X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.
MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS: The Ball State women's volleyball team was picked to finish second in the league in the MAC's annual preseason coaches' poll ... The defending regular season champion Cardinals earned 91 points and three first place votes, trailing only defending tournament champion Toledo (92 points / seven first place votes) ... The Rockets also had a slight edge over Ball State in the MAC Women's Volleyball Championship projections, earning six votes to the Cardinals' five.
PRESEASON ALL-MAC: Ball State placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-MAC Team ... Representing the squad were senior middles Gwen Crull and Camryn Wise, along with junior defensive specialist/libero Sophie Ledbetter ... All three were First Team All-MAC selections last season after helping guide the Cardinals to the league's regular season title with a 17-1 MAC ledger.
BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters the week with a 1066-673-2 (.612) 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 Mid-American Conference West Division Championships, 11 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 ... The Cardinals have also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 2-3 Mid-American Conference record so far this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 478-229 (.676) all-time MAC mark ... Western Michigan is second on the list, five-and-a-half matches behind the Cardinals at 472-234 (.669) ... Central Michigan is currently sixth at 353-354 (.499).
WHEN IN WORTHEN: With a 2-1 record to start home #MACtion this season, the Cardinals boast a 335-106 (.760) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 85-42 (.669) mark against non-conference foes and a 250-64 (.796) ledger versus Mid-American Conference rivals ... 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 ... Saturday's opponent Central Michigan is 6-29 (.171) all-time in Worthen Arena, with its last win coming March 20, 2021, during the COVID19 spring season, by a score of 3-1.
SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• The Ball State women's volleyball team enters Saturday's match vs. Central Michigan with an 11-5 (2-3 MAC) record after Tuesday's midweek setback to Miami ... The Cardinals entered the week ranked 32nd nationally in the first run of the NCAA Division I RPI rankings ... It is the highest the Cardinals have been in the RPI rankings since the final release of the 2021 season, when Ball State ended the year at 29 after defeating Michigan in the opening round of the NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship.
• A four-time MAC Defensive Player of the Week and two-time MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week so far this season, Ball State junior libero Sophie Ledbetter enters the week ranked first in the MAC and 13th nationally with a 4.93 digs-per-set average ... Her 286 total digs, including a career-high 29 digs vs. Miami (Oct. 6), are also first among all MAC players and 44th nationally.
• Thanks in part to Sophie Ledbetter's strong play in the backcourt, the Ball State defense enters the week ranked first in the MAC and fifth nationally with a 17.52 digs-per-set average ... The Cardinals have out-dug opponents in 12 of its 16 matches so far this season and have five starters and six overall players averaging over 2.00 digs-per-set.
• Ball State has also been able to translate those digs into kills, leading the nation in assists per set (13.76) and ranking second nationally in kills per set (14.53) ... Led by 6-2 setters senior Lindsey Green and sophomore Reese Axness, the Cardinals also rank 53rd nationally with a .255 hitting percentage.
• Looking at the offensive numbers, the Cardinals are doing it with a very balanced attack as six players have collected at least 93 kills through the first 16 matches of the season ... Five of those attackers have reached double-digit kills in at least three matches, led by junior outside Ava Smith with double figures in 11 ... Junior opposite Tiffany Snook is not far behind with double-digit kills in 10 matches.
• Senior middle Camryn Wise enters the weekend ranked first in the MAC and 21st nationally with a .411 hitting percentage, including eight matches above the mark so far this season ... In fact, Wise hit a program record .889 (16-0-18), for a player with at least 15 attempts in a match, in the Sept. 26 win over Western Michigan ... Throw in a .550 (11-0-20) rate of success in Tuesday's outing vs. Miami and Wise has connected at a .711 (27-0-38) clip in her last two home matches.
BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
• Sophie Ledbetter enters Saturday's match vs. Central Michigan ranked 14th in program history with 1,188 career digs ... The total is 105 digs shy of moving her into the top 10 in program history, with Natalie Risi (2019-22) currently holding the spot with 1,293 career digs ... In addition, Ledbetter has collected double-digit digs 15 times this season and in 66 matches over her career, with her career total ranking 10th on Ball State's all-time list.
• Junior outside Ava Smith has shined in her first season with the Cardinals, leading the squad and ranking third in the MAC with a 3.60 kills-per-set average ... She has smashed double-digit kills in 12 matches so far this season, paced by a career-best 19 kills vs. Western Kentucky (Sept. 3), against Northwestern (Sept. 17) and in the MAC opener versus Western Michigan (Sept. 25) ... Including her two seasons at FGCU, Smith has 420 career kills with double digits in 18 career matches.
• Ava Smith has also been a solid addition in the backcourt, ranking fourth on the squad with 127 digs for a 2.23 digs-per-set average ... The effort includes her first three career kill/dig double-doubles ... A six-rotation player for the first time in her collegiate career, Smith has 175 career digs including her 48 for the Eagles.
• For her effort on both offense and defense, Ava Smith has been named to both the Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Classic and Fairfield Inn & Suites Dunn Campbell Invitational All-Tournament teams ... She is the lone Ball State player to earn all-tournament honors at both events.
• Audrey Geer was named the MVP of the Tru by Hilton Beavercreek Classic after posting kill/dig double-doubles in all three matches, raising her season total to four ... She tied for team-high honors with a 4.10 kills-per-set average, while ranking second on the squad with a 3.70 digs-per-set average ... Entering Saturday's match vs. CMU, Geer is tied for second on the squad with a 2.59 kills-per-set average and ranks second on the team with a 2.87 digs-per-set average.
• Including her two seasons at Marshall, Audrey Geer has smashed 533 career kills ... She has notched double-digit kills in 29 collegiate matches and owns a career high of 17 kills versus Appalachian State on Nov. 11, 2024 ... In addition, she has collected double-digit digs in 26 matches as a collegiate player and has amassed 533 career digs ... Together, she has tallied 17 career kill/dig double-doubles, including four this season.
• Lindsey Green and Reese Axness continue to split duties in the 6-2 offense, combining to lead the Ball State offense to a .255 hitting percentage, which is second in the MAC and 53rd nationally ... Their efforts have also helped the Cardinals rank first in the nation in assists-per-set average (13.76) and second kills-per-set average (14.53) ... Green leads the duo and ranks sixth in the MAC with a 6.42 assists-per-set average, while Axness comes in at 5.22 assists per set ... In addition, the pair have combined for nine assist/dig double-doubles, with six from Green and three from Axness.
• Along with their solid setting numbers, Lindsey Green and Reese Axness have played a large role in the Cardinals ranking fifth nationally in digs-per-set average at 17.52 ... Despite playing just three rotations each, Green averages 2.53 digs per set, while Axness is at 2.02 ... Green has posted double-digit digs in six matches this season, while Axness has achieved the mark in three outings.
• Junior opposite Tiffany Snook has been a solid attacking option for the Ball State offense this season, tying for second on the squad with a 2.59 kills-per-set average ... She has blasted double-digit kills in 10 matches, raising her career total to 23, led by a career-high tying 17 kills at Campbell (Sept. 11).
• In her run to the best hitting percentage in a match in program history (for a player with at least 15 attempts) versus Western Michigan on Sept. 26, senior middle Camryn Wise blasted a career-high 16 kills on 18 swings with no errors for a .889 rate of success ... Wise enters Saturday's match vs. Central Michigan with 507 career kills and a .373 career hitting percentage which would be first in program history ... Marie Plitt (2019-23) currently holds the program's attack percentage record at .362, while Julie Zylka (1998-2001) is second at .360.
• So far this season, the Cardinals have been able to rely on a very deep bench on its march to an 11-5 start ... All 17 players on the roster have seen action this season, including 16 student-athletes in sweeps of Stetson (Sept. 11) and Campbell (Sept. 11) ... Of the group, all 17 players have at least one dig and 13 have at least one kill.
