Reaching the halfway point of the fall season, Ball State athletic teams are entering conference competition in hopes to claim a MAC title. Here’s what's going on this weekend in the the world of Cardinals sports.
Field Hockey
Ball State Field Hockey (0-8, 0-1 MAC) hits the road to take on MAC opponent Appalachian State (4-6, 0-2 MAC) and No. 1 North Carolina (9-0, 1-0 ACC).
The Cardinals return to the road after falling to the visiting University of California Davis Aggies in a 4-5 overtime thriller at home. The Cardinals had by far their best offensive performance of the season in the loss and hope to carry their momentum into their weekend road trip.
“We’ve got two totally different things going on,” Head coach Stephanie Bernthal said. “We’ve got a conference game and a big out-of-conference opponent. We’ve got nothing to lose, we’re going to put together a great game-plan and give them a run for their money.”
The Cardinals have not defeated the Mountaineers since the 2016 season. The Mountaineers recently fell to No. 7 Louisville by a score of 0-4.
The Tar Heels have dominated in the 2018 season so far, last defeating Virginia by a score of 3-0. The Tar Heels have allowed only three combined goals in nine games.
The Cardinals face the Mountaineers Friday, Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. The Cardinals will face the Tar Heels on Sunday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m.
Soccer
Last weekend saw Ball State Soccer (5-2-1, 1-1 MAC) split its conference-opening weekend with a 2-0 win over Toledo and a 3-0 loss to Bowling Green. Freshman Tatiana Mason currently leads the Cardinals in goals this season with three of her shots finding the back of the net. The Cardinals will face Kent State on Friday in Kent, Ohio, and Ohio on Sunday in Athens, Ohio. The Golden Flashes are 0-2 in conference play while the Bobcats hold an identical conference record to the Cardinals at 1-1.
Women’s Volleyball
After opening the MAC season with a 1-1 record, Ball State Women's Volleyball (10-5, 1-1 MAC) gears up to play in Worthen this weekend, taking on opponents Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan. Head coach Kelli Miller said there’s a lot to learn from the first weekend of MAC play.
“Starting the MAC season on the road isn’t easy and it takes a lot of preparation,” Miller said. “Until you get out there and see the competition, it’s difficult to gage. Playing a tough weekend early on is a good way to set the tone for the matches to come.”
The Eagles (10-6, 2-0 MAC) took down Central Michigan last Thursday and Kent State on Saturday. Leader of the Eagle frontline senior Jordan Smith has racked 198 kills on the season, averaging a .218 hitting percentage. Other key contributors include junior Cassie Haut and sophomore Franki Strefling.
Saturday brings Central Michigan (3-11, 0-2 MAC) to the Cardinal territory. The Chippewas have suffered losses to the Eagles and Ohio University. Their leading scorer, sophomore Kalina Smith, has tallied 148 kills on the season and averages 2.85 per set. Smith is followed by sophomore Lyza Myers who has 136 kills and the highest hitting percentage on the team with a .249.
“I think what gives us an edge is how many weapons we have offensively,” Miller said. “But we have balance in the other places, too. Our ball control has been solid and that’s what allows us to use those offensive weapons.”
Women’s Tennis
Women’s tennis heads west to Purdue after a strong showing at the Hidden Dual last weekend. The Cardinals won four of five sets over the weekend, which include a sweep over Dayton in singles play and Detroit Mercy in doubles.
“We know we’re going to have some pitfalls this weekend, we know some things will go well,” Head coach Max Norris said. “That’s what we’re excited about. After a pretty good weekend, it’s an opportunity to go back out there and compete.”
The Purdue Invite will run from Friday to Sunday in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Cross Country
After a week off, Ball State Cross Country heads south for the Greater Louisville Classic. The Cardinals come into the meet after an impressive showing at the Spartan Invitational two weekends ago, taking fourth place out of 21 teams. The invitational is set to start at 8 a.m.
Women’s Golf
Coming off a couple of high placements in the last tournament, Ball State Women’s Golf looks to its young talent to keep scores low. Sophomore Liz Kim led the Cardinals to a tie for runner-up at the Cardinal Classic. This six-over-par performance put Kim in sixth place overall for the tournament.
“What we do today matters for April and for the conference tournament,” Head coach Katherine Mowat said. “We have to stay in the moment and work as hard as we can.”
The Diane Thomason Invitational is hosted by Iowa and will take place Finkbine Golf Course in Iowa City. The Cardinals will be teeing off for two full rounds on Saturday, followed by the championship round on Sunday.
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