It was a surreal announcement.
Only a few minutes into NCAA Tournament Selection Show broadcasted on ESPNU Sunday night, Ball State flashed on the Minneapolis regional bracket shown on the screen.
The announcers didn't bother to discuss the Cardinals. There wasn't a sign of interest on the show to see a team from the Mid-American Conference selected as an at-large bid.
But at coach Steve Shondell's house, the entire team was celebrating. Many players took to Twitter to express their exhilaration.
The wait was finally over. Ball State was in.
"It's been our goal all year," Shondell said. "It's going to be exciting. I think we've got our confidence back."
Ball State (25-7) is scheduled to play Louisville (23-8), which ranks 38th in RPI, on Friday in the first round of play in West Lafayette, Ind.
For long-time Ball State fans, the match-up may cause déjà vu. Ball State last made the NCAA tournament in 2002, in which it ironically enough played Louisville in the its first round match.
But history bears no relevance on the match between the two Cardinal teams. Both team's current coaches and players were not a part of their respective programs in 2002.
For Ball State, it simply adds another goal to an already historic season. Now is the time to find out just how far the team can take its run.
Senior middle blocker Jennifer Boyd said she's not content with just getting into the tournament.
"It's not enough to just make it," she said. "Yeah, it was our goal, but I want us to expound upon that and be a tough player in the tournament and go as far as we can. I want us to play our best volleyball in the NCAA Tournament."
After going through weeks of adversity in conference matches due to mounting injuries and inconsistent play, Ball State is finally in a steady position before the start of the NCAA Tournament.
A dominating 3-0 win over St. Louis on Saturday provided a much-needed boost in momentum. Having a healthy squad helps even more.
Even sophomore setter Jacqui Seidel, who was knocked out for the season with an ACL tear three weeks ago, will continue to provide emotional support for her teammates.
"We're as healthy as we've been in a long time," Shondell said. "Mindy [Marx] and Jennifer are both back 100 percent, and that feels good. And we'll have Jacqui along for the ride."
The opponent is set. The field is in place. And the goals for Ball State are the same as they've been all season heading into the unfamiliar territory of a tournament on the national stage.
"[We'll] go all out and play as hard as we can," Boyd said. "We have nothing to lose because we've never been in the NCAA Tournament before. [We'll] go out there and just go as far as we can."
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