THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women’s volleyball team closes a three-match homestand Tuesday, when it hosts Miami for a 6 p.m. first serve at Worthen Arena … From there, the Cardinals travel to Kent State for matches Friday (6 p.m.) and Saturday (4 p.m.).

 

TUESDAY’S PROMOTIONS: Tuesday’s match will serve as Silent Set Night for the Cardinals … This unique night, run in conjunction with the Chasing Greatness Foundation, features NO CHEERING from fans until the HOME TEAM scores 9 points … Ball State’s Audiology Clinic will have a booth to promote hearing health and wellness.

 

FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans unable to attend this week’s matches in person have several ways to follow the #MACtion … All three contests will be broadcast live on ESPN+ … Live stats will be available courtesy of host institutions … Updates from the matches will also be provided on the team’s X feed and Instagram story: @BallStateWVB.

 

MAC PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION: Ball State women’s volleyball team received 102 points in the league’s annual coaches’ poll, trailing only defending regular season champion Bowling Green (119) … With coaches unable to vote for their own teams, BGSU earned 10 of the 12 votes to win the MAC regular season title, with the Cardinals claiming the other two … The Falcons were also selected as the favorite to win the MAC Volleyball Championship with 10 votes, while Buffalo and Central Michigan each garnered one vote.

 

PRESEASON HONORS: In addition to the team rankings, the MAC announced its annual Preseason All-MAC Team … Representing Ball State are sophomore outside Carson Tyler and sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter … Tyler was named the 2024 MAC and AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year after ranking first on the team and seventh in the league with a 3.34 kills-per-set average last season … Ledbetter earned a nod on the 2024 MAC All-Freshman team after leading the squad and ranking 10th in the MAC with a 3.68 digs-per-set average.

 

BALL STATE ALL-TIME: Ball State enters Tuesday’s match versus Miami with a 1048-667-2 (.611) all-time record in women’s volleyball … Ball State became the 44th program in NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball history to reach 1,000 wins with a sweep of Central Michigan on Sept. 22, 2023 … All-time, the Cardinals have captured 12 MAC West Division Championships, 10 MAC Regular Season Championships and eight MAC Volleyball Championship titles … Ball State has made 11 appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three of the last six seasons … BSU has also earned two bids into the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).

 

WHEN IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals boast a 329-104 (.760) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 245-63 (.795) ledger versus league foes … Overall, no MAC opponent owns a winning record inside Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals have at least a .630 winning percentage against all league schools on its current home floor … Tuesday’s opponent Miami is 8-17 (.320) all-time in the building.

 

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 10-1 record in MAC play this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 469-226 (.675) all-time MAC mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, four matches behind the Cardinals at 465-230 (.668), while Tuesday’s opponent Miami is fourth at 403-292 (.580).

 

ABOUT THE 10-0 START TO #MACtion: While it’s season-long 10-match winning streak came to an end Saturday vs. Ohio, Ball State’s 10-0 start to MAC play tied as the third-best league start in program history … The Cardinals also won its first 10 conference matches of the 1997 campaign … Ball State has also gone undefeated in league play twice, boasting an 18-0 mark in 1993, followed by a 17-0 record in 1994.

 

CURRENTLY IN THE MAC: With its 10-1 league mark, Ball State owns a two-match lead in the MAC standings, with Toledo and Western Michigan tied for second at 8-3 … Bowling Green, Central Michigan and Ohio are currently tied for fourth at 6-5 … The top six teams in the final league standings advance to the 2025 MAC Volleyball Championship held Nov. 21-23 at Bowling Green’s Stroh Center … Miami is currently the first team out with its 5-6 MAC ledger.

 

SCOUTING BALL STATE:

• The Cardinals enter the week with a 14-9 overall record, including a 10-1 record in Mid-American Conference play … Ball State extended its season-long winning streak to 10 matches with a reverse sweep over Ohio last Friday, before the Bobcats handed BSU its first league loss of the season with a 3-0 win Saturday. 

• Despite suffering its first league loss of the season last weekend, Ball State remained the top-ranked MAC squad in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings, coming in at 56 … The Cardinals were 77th in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5 and climbed to as high as 45th in the Oct. 19 release.

• Ball State enters the week as one of the nation’s top terminating teams, ranking third nationally with 1,238 total kills … Only Towson (1,287) and Valparaiso (1,267) have more kills than the Cardinals … 389 of Ball State’s kills, which is fourth nationally, have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who also ranks first in the MAC and 39th nationally with a 4.18 kills-per-set average.

• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 48th nationally with a .253 team attack percentage … Junior middle Camryn Wise is first in the league and 45th nationally with a .382 rate of success, while junior setter Lindsey Green ranks 102nd nationally with 678 total assists and owns a 7.37 assists-per-set average.

 

SCOUTING MIAMI:

• The RedHawks enter the week with an 11-12 overall record, including a 5-6 mark in MAC play … Miami split a pair of matches at Toledo last weekend, earning a 3-2 win Friday before suffering a 3-1 setback Saturday.

• Miami ranks sixth in the MAC in the NCAA RPI Rankings at 174, climbing 13 spots from its ranking of 187 last week … Miami was ranked 151st in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5, before falling to 192 on Oct. 12.

• Miami enters the week as one of the nation’s top defensive teams, ranking 81st nationally with a 2.36 blocks-per-set average and 57th with a 15.38 digs-per-set average … The RedHawks’ 214.5 total blocks are currently 15th in the nation, while its 1,400 digs are 16th.

• The RedHawks offense is paced by Chelsea Williams who owns a 2.79 kills-per-set average, including double-digit kills in each of Miami’s last four matches … In fact, she started the run with a season-high 20 kills at Kent State.

• The Cardinals currently hold a 51-39 lead in the all-time series versus Miami after earning a 3-0 (25-22, 25-15-25-16) sweep over the RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio, in the first meeting this season on Oct. 7 … Ball State has won the last six meetings in the all-time series and has won three straight in Worthen Arena … Miami, which is 8-17 all-time in Worthen Arena, has not won on Ball State’s home court since a 3-0 (25-15, 25-16, 26-24) victory Oct. 25, 2019.

 

BALL STATE QUICK HITS:

• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been one of the nation’s top attackers so far this season, ranking fourth nationally with 389 kills for a MAC-best 4.18 kills-per-set average … She has reached double-digit kills in 21 matches so far this season, including a career-high 29 kills versus Toledo (Oct. 10), 28 kills versus Cincinnati (Sept. 18), 26 kills versus James Madison (Sept. 14) and 21 kills at UConn (Sept. 5) … Last season, Tyler averaged 3.34 kills per set to become the first player in program history to earn AVCA Midwest Region Freshman of the Year accolades.

 

• With her 11 kills in Friday’s win over Ohio, Carson Tyler climbed into a four-way tie for 18th in program history with double-digit kills in 43 career matches … She has 21 such matches this season, while collecting 22 her freshman campaign … In addition, Tyler is one of just nine players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least 10 career matches, with her 24 kills at Bowling Green (Oct. 16) being her 12th.

 

• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler is currently second on the squad with 231 digs … She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in 12 matches this season, with her latest coming at Bowling Green (Oct. 16) … Tyler registered a career-high 19 digs in the win at Marquette (Sept. 12) and collected 18 versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) and James Madison (Sept. 14) … Tyler also leads Ball State’s primary passers with a .964 reception percentage, successfully passing 516 of the 535 serves she has faced … Tyler also led the Cardinals’ primary passers with a .963 reception percentage last season by successfully passing 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.

 

• Graduate outside Noelle VanOort has made quite an impact playing for the Cardinals, smashing 273 total kills, collecting 181 digs and hitting .215 (273-100-803) … A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has tallied double-digit kills in 17 of BSU’s 23 matches, including a season-high 20 kills twice … Throw in 97 matches with double-figure kills during her four-year career at Indiana Tech and VanOort has been credited with at least 10 kills in 114 collegiate matches … She has also raised her collegiate total to 11 matches with 20+ kills, including a 20/20 effort Nov. 5, 2022, with 23 kills and 25 digs versus Siena Heights.

 

• Noelle VanOort has been just as solid on defense through the first nine weeks, earning double-digit digs seven times, including a season-high 23 vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) … The effort has raised her career total to 97 matches with double-digit digs, including her 90 at Indiana Tech … It also helped her raise her collegiate kill/dig double-double total to 74, including six with Ball State and 68 with the Warriors.

 

• The countdown continues for Noelle VanOort who enters Tuesday’s match versus Miami three kills shy of 2,000 for her collegiate career … Prior to arriving at Ball State, VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American and ranked second in program history with 1,724 kills … Add 273 kills so far at Ball State and her career total stands at 1,997 … She has also collected 1,829 digs and served up 294 aces over her collegiate career.

 

• With 20 kills each in the Aug. 31 match versus Cal Poly, Noelle VanOort and Carson Tyler became the first Ball State duo to record 20-or-more kills in the same match since the 2007 season … Brittany May and Julie Breivogel were the last players to do so with 21 and 20 kills, respectively, in an Oct. 5, 2027 match versus Western Michigan.

 

• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter paces the Ball State defense with 357 digs and a 3.84 digs-per-set average this season … Her total ranked third among all MAC defenders, while her average is fifth … Ledbetter has recorded double-digit digs in 19 of BSU’s 21 matches, upping her career total to 42 … The effort includes a career-high tying 27 digs versus Eastern Kentucky (Sept. 20) and 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29).

 

• Sophie Ledbetter earned her first collegiate double-double versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs.

 

• Junior Lindsey Green and freshman Reese Axness have combined to lead the Ball State offense to a .253 attack percentage this season which is first in the MAC and 48th nationally … The mark includes a .262 rate of success over the team’s 11 MAC matches … Green, who dished out a career-high 51 assists twice this season, currently ranks ninth in the MAC with a 7.37 assists-per-set average, with her 678 total assists ranking 102nd nationally … She also leads the squad with 29 service aces … Axness, meanwhile, enters the week with a 4.32 assists-per-set average and has served up 12 aces.

 

• Junior middle Gwen Crull has turned up the offensive heat over the last six weeks, reaching double-digit kills for the first seven times in her collegiate career … Her best match came at Miami (Oct. 7), when she smashed a career-high 13 kills and hit .522 (13-1-23) … She has also collected 12 kills on two occasions; vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 18) and at Akron (Sept. 26) … Since the start of MAC play, Crull is second on the squad with a .393 (87-15-183) attack percentage, which ranks third in the MAC during the span … She also leads the squad with a 0.84 blocks-per-set average this season, including a team-high 12 solo blocks.

 

• Junior middle Camryn Wise enters the week leading the Mid-American Conference with a .382 attack percentage … She has hit .300-or-better in 17 of the team’s 23 matches, paced by a .579 (12-1-19) rate of success at Marquette (Sept. 12) … Looking at just league matches, Wise’s mark jumps up to .422 with just 11 errors on 166 swings, to go along with 81 kills … Wise has hit at least .385 in nine MAC outings, starting with a .545 (6-0-11) effort at Buffalo (Sept. 25).

 

• Sophomore Tiffany Snook is starting to find her grove on the right side, ranking fourth on the squad in league play with 84 kills and a 2.05 kills-per-set average … The effort includes a career-high 17 kills and a .433 (17-4-30) attack percentage versus Toledo (Oct. 10) … She also secured 11 kills at Akron (Sept. 26) and has registered at least six kills in eight of Ball State’s 11 league matches.

 

• Roster Update: Senior opposite Madison Buckley and redshirt junior outside attacker Aniya Kennedy will both miss the 2025 season as medical redshirts … Buckley was a 2024 First Team All-MAC selection after ranking second on the team in total blocks (90.0) and third in total kills (276) last season … Kennedy, the 2023 MAC Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MAC selection, ranked second on the squad with 279 kills last season and chipped in 43 total blocks.