In the last competitive match Ball State Women’s Volleyball played, the Cardinals fell in five sets to Bowling Green in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament.
After finishing the regular season 13-5 and earning the 10th MAC Regular Season Championship in program history, a quarterfinal exit felt like a disappointing encore to a stellar performance.
“We all know that last year was not our best year,” senior setter Megan Wielonski said.
Head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said the focus is always to keep looking ahead, and it has served her well while returning Ball State to its “Volleyball School” glory over her eight-year tenure.
With a 17-15 overall record and an appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, Ball State’s 2023 season was in no way a failure but one that could have gone differently in another universe.
“We knew that we could go so much further, and we had a lot of obstacles, but we’re not trying to make that an excuse as to why we couldn't push ourselves to go the extra step,” redshirt sophomore outside hitter Aniya Kennedy said.
Early in the 2023 season, Ball State lost then-senior middle blocker Lauren Gilliland to a career-ending injury, which provided a major obstacle for the Cardinals.
While looking to replace Gilliland's production and that of the now-graduated Marie Plitt, Ball State will need to replace the veteran presence the two had off the court. Entering her fourth season in the red and white, Wielonski could help with that.
“I think Megan certainly brings a ton of experience, a ton of poise [and] a ton of intellect,” Phillips said. “She’s just seasoned and knows how to do things and go about it the right way. We are going to look to her to be that staple to keep the group together.”
Kennedy, who had a team-high 470 kills in 2023 (4.12 kills per set) and was named MAC Freshman of the Year, brings some young, experienced energy and helps lead the line.
“I do think she’s definitely looked upon as somebody that we’re counting on to do a lot of things for the team, but at the same time, I don’t think anybody is expecting her to just lead the team all by herself,” Phillips said. “We can’t do that. You’re not going to win at our level with just one player … Hopefully, with the depth that we have, she’s not going to feel pressured to do it all herself.”
While Kennedy’s superb 2023 season puts her in the driving seat for one of the starring roles in attack, junior opposite hitter Madison Buckley, who had 290 kills and a team-high 96 blocks, makes the trouble to name a starting lineup a good problem to have.
“We have way higher expectations for her production on court and I think she has those for herself too,” Phillips said. “So on the right side, I think Anaya, and then we return several pins that are going to be in the mix for that other left side position.”
Acknowledging the freshened-up squad with six new players, Phillips said the goal is always to, “Win another MAC championship, regular season and tournament.”
In addition to its league goals, Phillips wants the Cardinals to rank in the top 40 nationally in the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), which ranks teams on their strength of schedule.
Phillips doesn’t shy away from talking about that goal, saying an informational, educational approach to the season will help clear the path.
“I want the team to know what we’re doing, I don’t think it adds extra pressure,” she said. “I think that the more we frame it and understand what our goals are and what we’re working to achieve, the more we’re on the same page and not just hoping we get there but working to get there.”
The key to a high RPI is to play tougher opponents, especially those out of conference. Ball State faces tough opponents like Penn State, Kentucky and Indiana in non-conference play this season.
“Our goal is to beat those people,” Phillips said. “In order to be in the conversation of a top 40 team, you’re going to have to play high and heavy competition like those guys and win.”
Phillips traditionally looks for the toughest competition in Ball State’s non-conference schedule. Partly to aid the RPI conversation but also to see where the Cardinals are at.
“I tried to schedule people that are going to put us in a position where it’s going to be challenging, [and] it’s going to help us reach our goals,” she said.
Ball State faces Seton Hall in the Florida Atlantic University Tournament Aug. 30 to kick off the 2024 season and begins MAC Conference play Sept. 27 at home against Bowling Green.
Contact Daniel Kehn with comments at daniel.kehn@bsu.edu or on X @daniel_kehn.
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