It's the perfect trap weekend for Ball State as it plays in the Spartan Invitational.
The Cardinals are coming off a draining loss to Purdue last Saturday. They're one week away from starting Mid-American Conference play at home against Toledo. And they play their toughest opponent of the weekend - Michigan State - first, starting today at 7 p.m.
A match against Ball State's second Big Ten opponent of the year brings yet another chance to prepare for the competitive MAC this year.
"We're going to have to be sharp in all aspects of our game to have a chance in that match," coach Steve Shondell said. "They're going to be very physical like Purdue, great athletes. But again, it's going to be a great experience to help prepare for the Mid-American Conference."
The tournament, hosted by Michigan State, will also include matches for Ball State against Sacred Heart at 10 a.m. and Virginia Commonwealth at 5:30 p.m., both on Saturday.
Shondell put Ball State's blocking on notice this week, saying it just wasn't good enough to compete against a team like Purdue.
"The biggest thing I took away from this weekend was we need to be a better blocking team," he said. "Purdue showed what its block can do. I thought that was the big difference between the two teams. We just need to prove our ability to block the net."
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Spartan middle blocker Alexis Mathews will make life even tougher for them on the other side of the net.
Only a redshirt sophomore, Mathews is already one of the best middle blockers in the nation. She ranks second in the nation in blocks-per-set with a 1.71 average.
In order to hit past Mathews, Ball State will need big performances out of its group of outside hitters, who have been inconsistent to start the season.
No matter the result, the experience of playing on the road in a hostile Big 10 environment should give Ball State lasting experience into the conference portion of the season.
"Nothing replaces the experience of playing a team at that level," Shondell said. "We know we're going to have our hands full. Anytime you play a Big 10 team on their floor, it's going to be a tough match."
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