After not dropping a set against Austin Peay and Citadel, Ball State lost its final match against South Florida.
The loss (26-28, 25-18, 21-25, 25-14, 16-18) dropped the Cardinals to 2-1 on the season.
The first set watched both teams trade points until the match was tied at 26. A kill from South Florida’s Erin Fairs followed by an attack error from Ball State’s senior Lauren Grant allowed South Florida to capture the first set.
Ball State worked itself into a 20-17 lead in the second set, forcing South Florida to call timeout. Ball State tied the match at 1-1 with sophomore Hayley Benson's three kills, coupled with an ace from sophomore Alex Fuelling and a South Florida error.
Benson finished with 16 kills and an attack percentage at .441.
The Bulls jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead to start the third set, and extended it to 11-6 off a Fairs kill. Ball State rallied to pull within three, but a kill from South Florida's Carissa Whalen finished the set for the Bulls.
Facing its first match loss, Ball State put together its most complete effort in the fourth set. Winning 12-10, kills from senior Kylee Baker, Fuelling and senior Mindy Marx allowed Ball State to extend the lead to 20-12, with Fuelling getting the set-ending kill.
Baker led Ball State in kills during the match with 18.
Tied at two sets apiece, Ball State and South Florida played their closest match of the night. The Bulls pulled out to a 6-3 lead before sophomore Kelly Hopkins and Baker tied it at 7.
The teams traded points until an attack error from Baker tied the game at 15. After Ball State took the lead with a Baker kill, South Florida took three straight points off of a bad set from senior Jacqui Seidel and an attack error by Marx as well as and a kill by South Florida’s Kayla Bivins.
Ball State’s next action is against IPFW at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Worthen Arena.
