For 23 straight matches, Ball State brought a sense of intensity and power to the Worthen Arena court that couldn't be matched by any team. It was proven with a win in every one of those matches.
Unfortunately, in all sports, no winning streaks last forever. Eastern Michigan made sure of that Thursday night.
The Eagles used a flurry of offensive runs behind outside hitter Rachel Iaquaniello and middle blocker Kristen Baker to drop the Cardinals 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-18, 28-26) and end its streak of home success. The loss also was the first at Worthen Arena with Steve Shondell as head coach.
After starting November with a 22-3 record, Ball State has now lost three consecutive matches. The second loss of the season to Eastern Michigan left players stunned following the match.
"It's just really disappointing," senior setter Brittany McGinnis said. "I think we all know we need to do some soul searching to get back on our horse. It needs to come from within."
Mistakes on offense and defense plagued Ball State players throughout the entire match. The timing of their errors proved especially costly.
"I think Corey [Carlin] said seven out of the last 11 points that we lost were our errors," coach Steve Shondell said. "We've really never had that issue for the last couple years, but all of the sudden its become an issue in the last two weeks."
Freshman setter Jaclyn Fullove managed to shine through the disappointing result with her first extended playing time of the season and her collegiate career.
Fullove played in three of the four games and earned three digs.
"She handled the ball well and picked up a few digs," Shondell said. "We put her in a tough situation, but we wanted to see how she would be able to perform in a big match, and I thought she did an admirable job."
But encouraging play wouldn't be enough for Ball State. A well-needed statement to the rest of the teams in the Mid-American Conference never came.
For Shondell and McGinnis both, it was difficult to put the effects of the loss into words.
An opportunity to correct the team's problems still remains with a home match against Central Michigan on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Three losses in a row is certainly unfamiliar territory for Ball State, but the drive to win may be stronger than ever for the players right now.
"I know we can do it," McGinnis said. "There's a lot of great players on this team. I just wish it was Friday. We've got to live with this for a day."
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