In the second match of Ball State’s weekend excursion in Ypsilanti, the Cardinals handled Eastern Michigan (2-15, 0-5 MAC) in a 3-0 triumph (26-24, 25-18, 25-23) on Saturday.
“It was kind of a weird match,” Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. “I felt like we didn't play our best volleyball, but I told the group at the end [that] sometimes it takes that experience of when you're not playing your best to still find a way to win.”
The 3-0 victory extended Ball State’s sweep streak to five matches, a feat which has not been accomplished in the program since 2010.
The red and white’s recent domination comes on the heels of a slow 2-8 start to the campaign. Miller Phillips attributes her the Cardinals’ mid-season turnaround to a narrow focus.
“You can't sweep everybody in one swing, and so we've just been really focusing on just [playing] one point at a time and continuing to trust our process,” Miller Phillips said.
Ball State encountered the most resistance from Eastern Michigan in the first set, a frame which was decided in overtime. En route to its tight first-set victory, the Cardinals fended off two Eagles set points and relied on key front-row play.
Miller Phillips signaled for a pair of timeouts late in the first set, which were pivotal in regrouping Ball State as it faced a first-frame loss.
“I just felt like we were playing very, very tight and reactionary as compared to playing our game [and] playing confident,” Miller Phillips said. “And, I just wanted them to know we're in this together.”
The Cardinals capitalized on the momentum gained from the thrilling first set, capturing the remaining frames in quick succession behind the stiff back-row defense and commanding play on the block. Ball State logged 66 digs and 10 total blocks – two season-best marks for three-set matches – which limited Eastern Michigan to a bleak 13.4 hitting percentage.
“I thought [the backcourt] did a good job of making some defensive adjustments on our end, and certainly, we're gonna have more opportunities to dig balls when we don't make kills,” Miller Phillips said.
Fifth-year libero Havyn Gates led Ball State’s admirable backcourt effort, as the Muncie native posted a team-leading 16 and added five assists. Fifth-year middle blocker Marie Plitt headlined the Cardinals’ block – logging a team-best six rejections – while freshman middle blocker Camryn Wise and sophomore opposite Madison Buckley each chipped in three blocks.
Though the defense was at the core of Ball State’s winning performance, the Cardinals received notable contributions from its hitters. Senior outside hitter Cait Snyder recorded 10 kills on 38 total attacks, and Plitt added 10 kills on an efficient 50 percent hitting.
Orchestrating the front-row attack, junior setter Megan Wielonski recorded a team-best 31 assists and added 11 digs.
Ball State (7-8, 4-0 MAC) will spend next weekend traveling through Ohio, as the Cardinals will take on Miami (4-12, 0-4 MAC) on Friday and Bowling Green (7-8, 1-3 MAC) on Saturday. The Falcons have emerged as Ball State’s top rival in recent seasons, with the two programs matching up in three of the last four MAC Tournament championships.
Miller Phillips said that the upcoming weekend will be a challenge not only due to the Cardinals’ highly-anticipated match with Bowling Green but also given that Ball State will prepare for two teams. In spite of the upcoming obstacles, the Ball State head coach is looking for loose play from her group.
“[We’re focused] on enjoying it,” Miller Phillips said. “Enjoy when you get to play these big rival matches; enjoy when you get to play great competition.”
Contact Adam Altobella with comments on X @AltobellaAdam or via email at aaltobella@bsu.edu.
