Women's Volleyball NCAA Tournament Tradition - Ball State University Athletics

Ball State Women's Volleyball NCAA Tournament Tradition

The Ball State women's volleyball team has a rich tradition of success, including 11 trips to the NCAA Tournament, which is the second-most of any Mid-American Conference program since 1992.

In 1992, the Cardinals advanced to NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history, falling to then No. 1-ranked UCLA in the first round.

In 1994, BSU’s third trip to the tournament, the Cardinals picked up their first NCAA Tournament victory with a stunning 3-2 (15-12, 8-15, 15-7, 8-15, 16-14) victory over Illinois in Champaign, Ill.

In 1995, Ball State hosted it’s first-ever NCAA Tournament match, drawing Loyola (Ill.) in the first round. The Cardinals went on to defeat the Ramblers 3-0 (15-13, 15-11, 15-8).

The 2000 Ball State women’s volleyball team picked up the program’s first-ever at large bid into the NCAA Tournament, as it finished the regular season with a 25-7 overall record.

The Cardinals returned to the dance again in 2002 after claiming both the MAC regular season and tournament titles. Ball State was shipped to Columbus, Ohio, to battle Louisville in first round action.

In 2011, the Cardinals earned the program's second at-large bid into the tournament. Ball State was sent to West Lafayette, Ind., for another showdown versus Louisville in first round action.

Ball State claimed its third-ever NCAA win in 2021, when it topped Michigan in the opening round, before falling to No. 1 national seed Louisville in the second round.

The program's latest NCAA berth came via an at-large bid, the third in program history, in 2022. The Cardinals were sent to Milwaukee to battle the region's No. 4 seed and 16th-ranked Marquette.

Overall, the Ball State women’s volleyball team is 3-11 in NCAA Tournament play (see match-by-match results below).

For more information about each of the Cardinals NCAA Tournament teams, click on the respective banner below.

Ball State NCAA Tournament Records:
- Individual Match Records
- Team Match Records
- Individual Single-Season Tournament Records
- Team Single-Season Tournament Records
- Individual NCAA Tournament Career Records

Ball State Women's Volleyball All-Time NCAA Tournament Results

Date	Opponent	Round	Results
12/4/2022	at No. 16 Marquette	First Round	L, 0-3 (20-25, 17-25, 17-25)
12/4/2021	at No. 1 Louisville	Second Round	L, 0-3 (27-29, 11-25, 19-25)
12/3/2021	vs. Michigan	First Round	W, 3-2 (25-17, 22-25, 25-18, 27-25, 15-8)
12/6/2019	at No. 5 Nebraska	First Round	L, 0-3 (13-25, 18-25, 10-25)
12/2/2011	vs. Louisville	First Round	L, 0-3 (22-25, 15-25, 20-25)
12/6/2002	vs. Louisville	First Round	L, 0-3 (24-30, 24-30, 25-30)
12/1/2000	at No. 16 Ohio State	First Round	L, 1-3 (14-16, 3-15, 16-14, 10-15)
12/2/1999	vs. No. 17 Northern Iowa	First Round	L, 2-3 (15-12, 9-15, 15-10, 2-15, 12-15)
12/2/1995	at No. 17 UCLA	Second Round	L, 0-3 (4-15, 4-15, 7-15)
11/29/1995	Loyola (Ill.)	First Round	W, 3-0 (15-13, 15-11, 15-8)
12/3/1994	at No. 5 Penn State	Second Round	L, 0-3 (8-15, 5-15, 16-18)
11/30/1994	at Illinois	First Round	W, 3-2 (15-12, 8-15, 15-7, 8-15, 16-14)
12/1/1993	at Minnesota	First Round	L, 0-3 (6-15, 11-15, 9-15)
12/4/1992	at No. 1 UCLA	First Round	L, 0-3 (1-15, 4-15, 0-15)