“There wasn't a ton of pressure that was put on us, but at least we were staying focused and doing things on our side of the court regardless of what was happening on the other side,” Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said.
Ball State falls to Buffalo in five sets, marking their second loss in the MAC.
Overall, the Cardinals record now stands at 12-9, with their MAC record dropping to 9-1. On the season, Ball State is now 4-4 when playing away from home.
The Cardinals swept the Rockets by leaning on serving and defense, extending a streak of success against their conference foe. Ball State next takes on Buffalo (17-4, 7-2 MAC) at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20, and at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21.
The Cardinals donned the bright colors in honor of the program’s annual “Dig Pink” night, an event that honors those who are currently fighting or have previously battled breast cancer.
Ball State journeyed across the Indiana-Ohio border Friday night and defeated Miami, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-11) in Oxford. The Cardinals (8-8, 5-0 MAC) look to remain unblemished in MAC play as they battle Bowling Green (7-9, 1-4 MAC) at 7 p.m. Oct. 7
“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.”
Ball State continued its recent success against its Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe on Friday, as the Cardinals downed the Eagles 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-16) inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center.
Muncie Burris defeated Frankton for the second time this season with a 3-0 sweep at Ball Gym in Muncie. The Owls picked up their 19th win of the year and look to ride that momentum into the Pioneer Conference tournament Sept. 23.
In just 1:28 on court Thursday night, the Cardinals quickly reversed their fortunes from last season. Ball State dismantled the Chippewas (6-7, 0-1 MAC) in a MAC-opening sweep (25-15, 25-21, 27-25).
Although the Cardinals were gearing up for a doubleheader with Central Michigan – the same team they faced in last year’s conference debut – the red and white enter this season with a different non-conference resume than they did in 2022.
Prior to Ball State’s Saturday tilt with East Tennessee State, the Cardinals had dropped eight of their last ten matches. In spite of their slow start to the campaign, the red and white kicked off their final non-conference outing with their finest frame of the season.
Ball State fell to 2-8 on the season following a 3-1 loss to Western Kentucky Friday in the Cardinals' first match in the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic. They are set to face East Tennessee State at Noon Sept. 16.
Ball State leaves Dayton with a six-match losing streak and a 2-7 record, the Cardinals’ slowest start since head coach Kelli Miller Phillips’ debut campaign in 2016.
The loss extends the Cardinals’ losing streak to four games, and although the skid comes at the disappointment of many around the program, experiencing a mid-season streak of setbacks is far from uncharted territory for coach Miller Phillips.
Ball State (2-4) finished the Blue Jay Invitational winless, falling to Creighton, Northern Iowa and LSU. The Cardinals will attempt to get back on track when they face Wright State (2-4) in their opening match of the Dayton Tournament Friday, Sept. 8, at 5 p.m.
Energized and excited for the fresh campaign, Ball State (1-0) made quick work of Gonzaga (0-2) in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-18) sweep of the visiting Zags on Friday in the opening round of the Ball State Invitational – a four-team round robin event also featuring Oklahoma and Purdue Fort Wayne.
A graduate of Muncie Central High School, the two-time reigning Mid-American Conference (MAC) Coach of the Year has guided the Cardinals to two conference titles and the program’s third-ever NCAA Tournament match win in 2021. Along with success, Miller Phillips wants to maintain that “Ball State Tradition” by instilling the same passion in the athletes who take the hardwood.
After 32 games, a regular season championship, an appearance in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament championship and an appearance in the NCAAtournament, it is over. Ball State was swept in straight sets by the no. 4 seed in the Texas Quarter of the bracket, Marquette University.
With the strike of a volleyball with one hand, Ball State Women’s Volleyball (24-8, 15-3) had their dreams of being back-to-back Mid-American Conference tournament champions dashed by Bowling Green (22-9, 15-3).
