In an effort to officially wrap up the 2011 Ball State women's volleyball season, here's a complete review of every player on the roster this season and what their individual opportunities will look like next season. I'll go on a scale of 1-4 stars to grade each player's season. Players that had limited playing time or didn't even play at all will earn an incomplete grade, but there will still be some analysis.
I'll go through each player position-by-position, with this second part focusing on the team's middle blockers.
This will be final edition of the women's volleyball player reviews, so check back next week for my Ball State men's volleyball player previews.
Middle Blockers
Starting middle blocker – senior Kelsey Brandl
Grade: 3 ½ stars
Analysis: At the risk of sounding over-the-top, Brandl is a reporter's dream. She's a good quote, doesn't use clichés and is one of the nicest people I've ever met. To make it even better, she's arguably the best player on the team. She made my job a lot easier this year, so I greatly thank her for that. Now, when it comes to Brandl as a player, I always think of her in one way. If you know Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, you might hear from different NFL coaches that they have to prepare an entire offensive game plan around stopping him. He disrupts an offense that much. In the same way, I think volleyball coaches have to prepare their defense that thoroughly for Kelsey Brandl as a part of Ball State's offense. She's physical, athletic and has a ridiculously high volleyball IQ. The latter is only one of the reasons I'm not surprised she's intent on becoming a volleyball coach after college. All throughout the season, opposing teams fell victim to her length, serving abilities and presence at the net. Since this was her final season, it'll be strange to not see her jump serve or her sweeping attack next year. The only reason I hesitated to give Brandl four stars is because while I did think she had a good season, their were moments of dominance from her that made me think, "Why doesn't she play this well all the time?" I'm probably being overly critical, but I continue to think Brandl's season could have been slightly better. She had a productive, healthy senior season though, and for that I have no doubt she's in the top tier of players to have ever been a part of the program.
Starting middle blocker – senior Jennifer Boyd
Grade: 3 ½ stars
Analysis: At the time Jacqui Seidel was lost to a significant injury and Ball State had lost three straight matches in early November, I figured most of the blame should be placed on the impact of no longer having the back-up setter on the court. However, Boyd was out with an ankle injury at the same time, and in hindsight, I think her loss may have deserved most of the blame for the three-game losing streak. Boyd isn't a flashy player, but she does all the little things that made her one of the most important members of the rotation this season. She was so consistent that you could always count on her to be effective on offense and defense, no matter what opponent was on the court. The same could not be said for several members of the roster. Losing her to graduation will hurt just as much as Brandl's departure will, as Ball State will have to undergo a major turnover at the middle blocker position now. Both players will be greatly missed, both on the court and off it, as the team heads into the 2012 season.
Back-up middle blocker – sophomore Mindy Marx
Grade: 2 stars
Analysis: I wrote a few days ago that Brittany McGinnis was the most puzzling player on Ball State's roster this season. Two days later, I realize I probably should have saved that title for Mindy Marx. What started as a promising season for her defensively behind the two seniors turned into a period of time where her only opportunities came out of necessity due to injuries. I thought Marx played decently when she was actually on the court, at least defensively, but the problem for her was actually earning playing time. There were several different reasons I heard from sources regarding her diminished usage, all making me question whether Marx had the right attitude this season. She'll be needed more than ever next year with Brandl and Boyd both gone, so she'll need to improve her play greatly and possibly improve her attitude too. Whatever can help her get on the good side of the coaches and earn playing time will only help Ball State as a whole next year.
Redshirt middle blocker – freshman Kelly Hopkins
Grade: Incomplete
Analysis: Even though she redshirted, there might be no player I'm more excited to see in 2012 than Hopkins. On the few times I got to see her practice, she always managed to stick out. In all honesty, she looks like a Kelsey Brandl clone. The balls she hits come down incredibly hard. Her feet look quick and she looks like a good jumper. To make things better, coach Shondell told me before the season that Hopkins was probably the best blocker in preseason practices. Brandl even told me herself that she thinks Hopkins is going to be a force in the future. All of this adds up to a lot of expectations for the young player. As I've mentioned several times, the turnover at middle blocker will be immense, so Hopkins will immediately be counted to produce in her first season of play next year. Ball State would benefit greatly from a short adjustment period from her once she takes the court.
Redshirt middle blocker – freshman Hayley Benson
Grade: Incomplete
Analysis: Besides being the tallest player on the team at a listed 6'4, though she's noticeably taller than the other players listed at the same height, I don't know much about Benson. From what I've been told by Brandl once again, Benson is a really talented blocker. The only problem with her is that she's slow to go along with it. Her length may help her in that area, but the liability sounds like it could turn into a problem for Ball State. Speed and quickness aren't usually something that you can just fix, so this is an area of Benson's game for fans to monitor next year. She'll automatically receive a good amount of playing time next year, so that should be easy to do.
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