WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Ball State puts loss behind them

After what could be described as an upset loss to the University of Toledo, 9-8, Ball State didn’t waste time putting the defeat behind them.

The Cardinals, 15-4, immediately rebounded 48 hours later by sweeping the University at Buffalo, showing little resemblance to the team that struggled to get offense flowing Thursday night.

“[Toledo] was a trap match, and I think we learned a season’s worth of lessons when we were out there,” head coach Steve Shondell said. “You can’t begin to feel too good about yourself just because you’ve won 11 in a row.”

The loss to Toledo snapped Ball State’s 11-match win streak.

Against the now 14-3 Buffalo team, Ball State came out in warm-ups looking more aggressive and ready than in previous matches. The loss to Toledo allowed them to refocus by not thinking on what could have been.

“You can’t dwell too much on the past, you’ve got to move on from it,” Ball State outside hitter Alex Fuelling said. “We took it as a learning lesson knowing that we can’t take any game for granted.”

Against the Bulls, the Cardinals looked ready to prove their loss was nothing more than a fluke. After the three-set sweep Ball State conducted in front of its home crowd Saturday, Shondell emphasized the importance of moving on quickly after a loss while still taking mental notes about what improvements need to be made so a loss doesn’t happen again.

After the victory against Buffalo, Toledo seemed like a distant memory for Ball State’s head coach.

“We lost to Toledo?” Shondell asked with a smile.