Natalie Mitchem

Photo by: Evan Procaccini

Photo by: Bobby Ellis (Ball State Creative Services)

Position:
Opposite
Height:
6-2
Class:
Senior
High School:
Bolingbrook
Hometown:
Bolingbrook, Ill.

Career Notes Entering 2022 Season:
• Played in 77 of a possible 87 matches over her career
• Saw action in 307 of a possible 335 sets over her career
• 2021 First Team All-MAC
• 2019 MAC All-Tournament Team
• Two-time Academic All-MAC (2020-21, 2022)
• Two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25, 2021, Nov. 1, 2021)
• Smashed a career-high 21 kills versus USF (Aug. 30, 2019) and tied the mark versus Toledo (Oct. 19, 2021)
• Scored double-digit kills in 38 career matches

2021 (Jr.): Earned third letter at Ball State … First Team All-MAC … Academic All-MAC … two-time MAC West Division Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25, Nov. 1) … played in all 34 matches, earning 26 starts … one of four players on the squad to see action in all 129 sets … tied her career-high with 21 kills in the win at Toledo (Oct. 19), one of her 22 matches with double-digit kills … had at least 15 kills in five contests … scored 12 kills in BSU’s MAC Tournament semifinal win over Western Michigan (Nov. 22), while adding 11 in the championship match victory over Bowling Green (Nov. 24) … also scored 11 kills in Ball State’s NCAA Tournament first round victory over Michigan (Dec. 3) ... ranked third on the team and ninth in the MAC with a .307 attack percentage, hitting at least .500 with a minimum of 10 attempts on two occasions ... hit a career-high .714 (15-0-21) versus Miami (Oct. 30) which was BSU's second-best individual match effort of the season ... led the team in kill in 11 matches and in points 10 times ... third on the team with a 0.67 blocks-per-set average, earning at least one block in 31 matches … secured a season-high seven blocks versus Northern Illinois (Oct. 15), while being credited with five-or-more blocks in four outings … collected 55 digs, including a season-high give at Akron (Oct. 8) ... dished out 11 assists on the year.

2020-21 (So.): Earned second letter at Ball State … Academic All-MAC … played in 20 of Ball State’s 21 matches, earning 12 starts … saw action in 72 of a possible 80 sets … ranked second on the team with a 2.12 kills-per-set average, smashing 153 kills on the year … collected a season-high 16 kills in the five-set win at Ohio (March 4) … finished the season with 15 kills at Eastern Michigan (March 27) … logged double-digit kills in six matches, while scoring at least two kills in 19 matches … opened the EMU series with a career-best .545 (13-1-22) attack percentage (March 26) … hit .202 on the year, logging a .300-or-better mark in six outings … registered a career-high seven blocks at Toledo (Feb. 4), while adding six total blocks on two occasions … finished the season with 55 total blocks, logging at least one block in 17 contests … earned 29 digs for the year, including a season-high four versus Kent State (March 11) ... also handed out a pair of assists on the year.

2019 (Fr.): Earned first letter at Ball State … MAC All-Tournament Team ... played in 30 of Ball State's 32 matches, seeing action in 106 of a possible 126 sets ... ranked second on the team with 259 kills ... smashed a career-high 21 kills versus USF (Aug. 30) to become one of only five Ball State players in the rally scoring era (2001-present) to register 20-or-more kills in a match as a freshman ... smashed double-figure kills in 10 matches, including 18 versus Cincinnati (Sept. 14) ... added 10 kills in the MAC Volleyball Championship semifinal win over Miami (Nov. 23), while tying for team-high honors with 12 in the championship match victory over Bowling Green (Nov. 24) ... hit a season-best .421 (9-1-19) in the MAC Volleyball Championship quarterfinal victory over Ohio (Nov. 22) ... hit .176 on the year, with a .200-or-better mark in 14 matches ... registered 34 blocks on the year, including a season-high five against the Bearcats ... tallied at least one block in 21 matches ... secured 54 digs, including a career-high five digs in three matches ... also handed out a pair of assists on the year.

PHILLIPS ON MITCHEM: Natalie is a pin attacker that hits the ball with a ton of pace. She puts up a big-time block and makes it very difficult on opponents to attack around her. She plays for a high level club that consistently competes for national championships and she will bring that experience with her to our gym as well. With her physicality and work ethic, the sky is the limit for how good she can become. I am really looking forward to adding Natalie to our program.

HIGH SCHOOL: A four-year letterwinner for coach Molly Deserf at Bolingbrook High School, Mitchem blasted 351 kills and served up 53 aces her senior season to help guide the Raiders to a 24-10 overall record, with the 24 wins setting a program record … named the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior, she was also a first team all-conference selection in each of her final two seasons … Mitchem, who also earned all-area as a junior, finished her career with a school record 801 career kills.

CLUB: Played five seasons for Sports Performance, helping guide her team to the 2018 AAU National Championship.

PERSONAL: Majoring in environmental geoscience ... born April 30, 2001 in Naperville, Ill. ... daughter of Jackie and James Mitchem ... has five brothers ... her father played basketball at DePaul ... her mother played basketball at Lewis ... her bother Tyler is currently a redshirt junior on the men's volleyball team at Lewis.

WHY BALL STATE: I chose Ball State because I wanted to go to a larger school with lots of people and somewhere out of Illinois that was Division I for volleyball. The atmosphere and community feeling of Ball State is what drew me in. As I was working through my college decision, I grew to love Ball State, what the program had to offer and the culture the coaching staff has built. The team was extremely nice and all I heard were good things. Everything I heard was positive and everyone I know who has gone to Ball State said they loved it and I would have lots of fun and enjoy myself there. My main goal in deciding on a college was to find somewhere I could call home for the next four years and have the best time of my life while getting a great education. Ball State was the best fit for that.