Following a 0-2 home stand, Ball State University will be heading out on the road to DeKalb, Ill.
The Cardinals (0-3, 0-2 Mid-American Conference) are set to compete against Northern Illinois University in Mid-American Conference action Sunday. The Huskies are 1-1 this season and are coming off a 192.400-188.125 win against Western Michigan University last weekend.
In Ball State's last outing the result was different. Last weekend the Cardinals lost to Kent State University 192.975-186.875 and after the meet the team and its coaches met for an hour and 20 minutes.
Ball State coach Nadalie Walsh said the team talked about raising its confidence, and that throughout this week's practices that has happened.
"We did a lot of things to work on endurance, like not being able to rest in between turns," she said. "They were moving twice as much in the gym than normal. So that helps their confidence because they know they can finish their routines. If not, we'll do four times as many."
The other topic of conversation during the team meeting after the Cardinals' last competition was not worrying about what people thought of them and just going out and performing.
"They want more than anything to show everybody that they are really good," Walsh said. "That's not what they need to focus on. They need to focus on the little things in their routines."
Unlike most coaches, Walsh said going out on the road could help her team.
"It might be an advantage," Walsh said. "The girls can go away and not have as many people they know watching."
Another advantage the Cardinals will have at Northern Illinois is Bibiana Rodriguez. The last time she was seen she had landed on her back during the floor exercise against Kent State and injured her neck. Walsh said Rodriguez is fine and will be a go Sunday.
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