Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Cincinnati
WVB at Cincinnati Tuesday; Ledbetter Earns More MAC Honors
September 14, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
| Ball State (8-0; 0-0 MAC) at Cincinnati (5-3; 0-0 Big 12) | |
| Match 9 - at Cincinnati (5-3) | Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. ET Live Stats | ESPN+ |
| Match 10 - hosts Northwestern (5-4) | Thursday, Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. ET Live Stats | ESPN+ |
| Match 11 - hosts IU Indy (4-6) | Saturday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. ET Live Stats | ESPN+ |
| Notes | Ball State | Cincinnati | Northwestern | IU Indy |
| Social Media | X (Twitter) | Instagram |
THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women's volleyball team closes its nine-match season-opening road swing Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when it battles Cincinnati at Fifth Third Arena on ESPN+ ... Later in the week, fans will then get their first chance to see the Cardinals at home this season, as BSU hosts Northwestern Thursday and IU Indy Saturday inside Worthen Arena ... Both matches start at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN+
FOLLOW THE ACTION: Live stats will be available for all three matches courtesy of Cincinnati and Ball State ... In addition, all three contests will also broadcast live on ESPN+ ... Updates from the matches will also 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 Crulland 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 1063-668-2 (.614) 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 17-1 record in Mid-American Conference play last season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 476-226 (.678) all-time MAC mark ... Western Michigan is second on the list, six matches behind the Cardinals at 470-232 (.670).
WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 332-104 (.761) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 248-63 (.797) ledger versus league foes ... 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.
SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• After another undefeated weekend, the Ball State women's volleyball program gained more votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Coaches Poll, earning 24 points this week ... The Cardinals received votes for the first time since the first regular season poll of the 2022 season on Sept. 7, earning six votes.
• For the third straight week, and the fifth time in her career, Ball State junior libero Sophie Ledbetter has been named the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week ... Ledbetter, who collected her 1,000th career dig in last Friday's victory over Stetson, leads the MAC and ranks 12th nationally with a 4.86 digs-per-set average this season.
• Thanks in part to Sophie Ledbetter's strong play in the backcourt, the Ball State defense enters the week leading the nation with an 18.24 digs-per-set average ... The Cardinals have out-dug opponents in all eight matches so far this season and have five regulars averaging at least 2.00 digs-per-set.
• Ball State has also been able to translate those digs into kills, leading the nation in assists per set (14.24) and ranking fourth nationally in kills per set (14.68) ... Led by 6-2 setters senior Lindsey Green and sophomore Reese Axness, the Cardinals also rank 35th nationally with a .269 hitting percentage.
• Looking at the offensive numbers, the Cardinals are doing it with a very balanced attack as five players have collected at least 37 kills through the first eight matches of the season ... Four of those attackers have reached double-digit kills in at least two matches, led by junior opposite Tiffany Snook with double figures in six of Ball State's eight outings so far this season.
BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
• Ball State enters Tuesday's match at Cincinnati as one of just 11 undefeated teams in the nation this season ... The Cardinals are also the lone unblemished MAC program remaining.
• Sophie Ledbetter enters the week ranked first in the MAC and 12th nationally with a 4.86 digs-per-set average ... She has been credited with double-digit digs in seven of Ball State's eight matches so far this season, including a season-high 26 in the season-opening reverse sweep of Notre Dame (Aug. 28) and in last Saturday's win over Furman (Sept. 12) ... With 141 total digs this season, Ledbetter has raised her career total to 1,043 which is 21st in program history.
• With double-digit digs in two matches last weekend, Sophie Ledbetter raised her career total to 58 matches in double figures ... The mark currently ranks 13th in program history and is three shy of moving her into the top 10 on BSU's all-time list.
• Junior outside Ava Smith has also shined in her first season with the Cardinals, leading the squad and ranking second in the MAC with a 3.54 kills-per-set average ... She has smashed double-digit kills in five matches so far this season, paced by a career-best 19 kills in the win over Western Kentucky (Sept. 3) ... Including her two seasons at Marshall, Smith has 314 career kills with double digits in 11 career matches.
• Ava Smith has also been a solid addition in the backcourt, ranking third on the team with a 2.54 digs-per-set average, including her first three career kill/dig double-doubles ... Smith's 71 digs this season are close to double her total of 48 in her first two seasons at FGCU and give her 119 career digs entering the match at Cincinnati.
• 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 Tuesday's match at Cincinnati, Geer ranks second on the squad with a 2.93 kills-per-set average and second on the team and ninth in the league with a 3.25 digs-per-set average.
• Including her two seasons at Marshall, Audrey Geer has smashed 496 career kills, leaving her four shy of 500 ... She has notched double-digit kills in 27 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 25 career matches and is eight shy of 500 in that category at 492 ... Together, she has tallied 17 career kill/dig double-doubles, including a team-high four so far 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 .269 hitting percentage so far this season, which is 35th nationally ... Their efforts have also helped the Cardinals rank first in the nation in assists-per-set average (14.24) ... Green leads the duo and ranks seventh in the MAC with a 6.90 assists-per-set average, while Axness comes in at 5.45 assists per set ... In addition, the pair have combined for four assist/dig double-doubles, with two from Green and two from Axness.
• Junior opposite Tiffany Snook has also been a solid attacking option for the Ball State offense this season, ranking third on the squad with a 2.90 kills-per-set average ... She has blasted double-digit kills in a team-high six matches, raising her career total to 19, led by a career-high tying 17 kills
• So far this season, the Cardinals have been able to rely on a very deep bench on its march to a perfect 8-0 start ... A total of 17 different players have seen action, including 16 student-athletes in last Friday's sweeps of Stetson and Campbell ... Of the group, 16 players have at least one dig and 12 have at least one kill.
