MUNCIE, Ind. — The Ball State Women’s Volleyball team kicked off their conference schedule over the weekend, playing host to the Bowling Green Falcons on Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s match was eventful.
The Cardinals came out firing in the first set, committing zero errors and recording a hitting percentage of .556, winning 25-20. Nonetheless, Bowling Green quickly offered a rebuttal in the second set, taking advantage of seven Ball State errors and a Cardinal hitting percentage of .167.
The Cardinals fought hard in the third, forcing many set points before falling to a resilient Falcons squad 30-28. The Cardinals rallied to win the fourth but were outlasted by Bowling Green in the end, dropping the fifth set 15-11.
Freshman outside hitter Carson Tyler cemented herself as a stand-out in front of a home crowd of over 1200, recording nine digs and a team-high 20 kills on the night. Senior Megan Wielonski also dominated with 53 assists from her setter position.
Overall, the Cardinals and Falcons both tallied 64 kills and 10 blocks in Friday night’s action.
Bowling Green built off of Friday’s momentum on Saturday afternoon, closing out the Cardinals in straight sets (25-12, 25-23, 25-13).
“Every single time out there is a learning experience whether you’re a senior, fifth-year, or a freshman,” said Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips, who was disappointed in the outcome Friday night. “It’s a long MAC season, but we certainly gotta learn quick.”
The Cardinals will have another opportunity to learn when they travel to Central Michigan on Friday to play a 2-game series against the Chippewas.
Contact Jayden Collins with comments at jayden.collins@bsu.edu.
