Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Ball State
Volleyball Edges Ball State, 3-2, in a Marathon Match
11/6/2009 11:03:22 PM | Volleyball
Eagles pick up second win in Worthen Arena, improving to 2-19 in the 17-year old building
Box score.
MUNCIE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) – Despite a sluggish start for the Eastern Michigan University volleyball team, the Eagles regrouped to post a 3-2 (13-25,25-20,25-21,25-27,19-17) victory over Ball State University Friday evening, Nov. 6, in a marathon match at John E. Worthen Arena. The win was the Eagles' second-ever in the 17-year history of Worthen Arena and the first since EMU posted a 3-0 decision Oct. 27, 2007. The season sweep of the Cardinals is also just the second for the Eagles since 1986 and just the fourth in the program's history.
With the victory, EMU ups its record to 5-24 and 4-9 in the Mid-American Conference while Ball State drops to 11-15 (4-9 MAC).
The EMU offense, which finished with a .142 attack percentage, was led by junior Jennifer Swartz (Canton, Mich. -Westland John Glenn) with 17 kills, two blocks, four block assists and a .382 attack percentage (17-4-34). Freshman Rachel Iaquaniello (Plymouth, Mich.-Dearborn Divine Child) collected 15 kills, nine digs and two service aces. Classmate Kristen Baker (Mentor, Ohio-Mentor) also finish with double-digits in kills with 12 to go along with her five block assists.
Sophomore setter Ashley Mason (Eastlake, Ohio-Lake Catholic) added a double-double a team-best 49 set assists and 10 digs. Sophomore libero Haley Stein (Carleton, Mich.-Monore St. Mary's Catholic Central) added a team-best 23 digs, including a pivotal play late in the fifth set to keep EMU alive.
Individually for Ball State, Hannah Sullivan posted a match-high 20 kills, while Julie Breivogel and Kelsey Brandl and Elaina Kaketolis chipped in 15 and 12 kills, respectively.
In the opening frame one, the two squads remained close early, battling to a 5-5 tie. A BSU service error gave EMU a brief 6-5 advantage, however the Cardinals responded with a 7-0 run to effectively put the set out of reach.
Set two was much the same with the teams knotted up at 6-6 in the early going. Despite kills from five different Cardinals, EMU pulled out to a 19-15 advantage, thanks in part to three kills from Swartz and two from Iaquaniello. Consecutive kills brought BSU within two, but the Cardinals offense would stall at 20 and the Eagles were able to tie the match behind a set-winning service ace from Iaquaniello at 25-20.
In the third stanza, BSU got off to a hot start and a 5-2 lead by forcing the Eagles into three early errors. EMU stormed back, taking an 8-7 lead off a pair of BSU miscues. The set remained close and BSU was able to regain the lead at 13-11 thanks in part to three kills from Brandl. With the score knotted at 20, EMU picked up kills on four of the next six plays to take the set 25-21.
With the Green and White, holding a 12-7 lead early in the fourth set, two back-to-back kills propelled the Cardinals battle back into the set. A 5-1 run allowed the home team to get back within a point at 16-15. After being tied at 21, the Eagles scored three on of the next four points to set up at game-point with a 24-22 lead. Unfortunatley the Cardinals still had some fight in them, rallying to claim the set with a 27-25 decision.
In the finale, the Eagles used two kills from Baker and a pair of BSU attack errors to pull out to an early 4-1 lead, prompting a quick timeout. The Cardinals retaliated to knot the score at 5-5 and eventually take what looked to be a commanding 11-8 advantage.
The Eagles would prove up to the challenge with three points of their own to tie things up at 11. Moments later Eastern Michigan would reach their fourth match-point as a Ball State attack error pushed the score to 14-13. However, a Brandl kill tied up the set at 14 to set up the exciting finish.
Trailing at match-point for the fifth time at 15-14 after a kill from EMU's Cassie Sowers (Williamsport, Ohio-Wesfall), BSU rallied with two consecutive points and an opportunity of its own to win the contest. After an EMU timeout, the guests responded with a block from Baker and Jill Bates (Billings, Mont.-Billings Senior) and a kill from Victoria Randolph (Cincinnati, Ohio-Mount Notre Dame) for their sixth chance at victory at 17-16. But Ball State's Alisha Green smashed her fifth kill of the night to push the score to 17-17.
Swartz's 17th put-a-way of the night gave the Eagles their seventh match-point, and they would not be denied this time as an errant BSU attack ended the frame at 19-17 and the match at 3-2 in favor of Eastern Michigan.
The Eagles make the short trek down US-23 to take on the University of Toledo Saturday, Nov. 7, at Savage Arena. EMU leads the all-time series, 43-11, including posting a 3-1 victory (25-18, 19-25, 25-16, 25-19) in the team's first meeting earlier this year at the Convocation Center, Oct. 2.
