Ball State's athletic department released the season schedule for the women's volleyball team. Included in the schedule is the Mid-American Conference Championship, which Ball State will play host to Nov. 17 to 22.
The team will travel many miles this season, with 22 of the 31 regular-season matches coming on the road. Head coach Randy Litchfield knows that a road-heavy schedule can be draining on his team, but he looks beyond September.
"September is grueling," Litchfield said. "We have only two home matches in the month and they both fall late, but it comes back to us in November. Our most important matches are played at home and that will benefit a young team like ours."
Ball State opens the season with a bang, with six of the team's first 10 opponents having participated in the 2002 NCAA tournament and eight of them have ratings percentage indexes in the top 100 in the nation. The team will also play against its toughest opponent of the season in NCAA defending champion Southern California in its second game. Head coach Randy Litchfield said it's a great opportunity.
"We hosted them in the opening match in 2002 and we got beat," Litchfield said, "but after that we knew we could play. (This year) we can't go into the match thinking about winning and losing. We have to come out of the weekend competitive."
Litchfield won his fifth MAC Coach of the Year last season in leading Ball State to the MAC championship last season over Akron after finishing the regular season with the best conference record, suffering only one loss. The team then played host to the MAC Championship as well and, by winning the MAC championship, earned the league's at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. Ball State lost to Louisville 3-0 in the first round.
Litchfield's group of Cardinals this season includes one senior and 75 percent of the team comprised of freshmen and sophomores. Although he is aware of this fact, he said the team has a chance to repeat its success. He said with its most important games being at home in the end of the season, the road-weary team will compensate when it most counts.
"I think that with younger teams, as you get closer to finals, you want to be closer to home and being home in November is great because young teams get worn out by travel," Litchfield said.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
