Women’s Volleyball Back in Action at Kent State

THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: After picking up a home sweep of Miami Tuesday, the Ball State women’s volleyball team closes the week with a two-match set at Kent State … The teams will battle at 6 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday at the M.A.C. Center.

 

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

 

CURRENTLY IN THE MAC: With its 11-1 league mark, Ball State owns a two-match lead in the MAC standings, with Western Michigan currently second at 9-3 … Toledo is third at 8-4, while Bowling Green and Ohio are tied for fourth at 7-5 … Rounding out the current top six is Central Michigan at 6-6 … 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 and Akron are currently tied as the first teams out with its 5-7 MAC ledgers.

 

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 330-104 (.760) all-time record inside Worthen Arena, including an 84-41 (.672) mark against non-conference foes and a 246-63 (.796) 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 … Ball State closes out its 2025 home slate Nov. 13-14 with back-to-back matches versus Central Michigan which is 6-27 all-time in Worthen Arena.

 

BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With an 11-1 record in MAC play this season, Ball State maintains its status as the winningest program in league play with a 470-226 (.675) all-time MAC mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, four matches behind the Cardinals at 466-230 (.670), while this weekend’s opponent Kent State is 10th at 246-450 (.353).

 

ABOUT THE 10-0 START TO #MACtion: While it’s season-long 10-match winning streak came to an end last 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.

 

SCOUTING BALL STATE:

• The Cardinals enter the weekend with a 15-9 overall record, including an 11-1 record in Mid-American Conference play … Ball State rebounded from its first league loss of the season last Saturday with a 3-0 sweep of Miami Tuesday in Worthen Arena.

• Ball State remains 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 weekend as one of the nation’s top terminating teams, ranking second nationally with 1,284 total kills … Only Towson (1,287) has more kills than the Cardinals … 402 of Ball State’s kills, which is fifth nationally, have come from the arm of sophomore outside Carson Tyler who also ranks first in the MAC and 39th nationally with a 4.19 kills-per-set average.

• In addition, the Cardinals lead the MAC and rank 46th nationally with a .254 team attack percentage … Junior middle Camryn Wise is first in the league and 43rd nationally with a .381 rate of success, while junior setter Lindsey Green ranks 96th nationally with 695 total assists and owns a 7.32 assists-per-set average.

 

SCOUTING KENT STATE:

• The Golden Flashes enter the weekend with an 8-15 overall record, including a 3-9 mark in MAC play … In Tuesday #MACtion, Kent State suffered a 3-0 setback at Ohio for its third straight league loss.

• KSU ranks last in the MAC in the latest NCAA RPI Rankings at 259, dropping 11 spots from its ranking of 248 last week … Kent State was ranked as high as 188th in the initial RPI rankings on Oct. 5, before falling to 239th on Oct. 12.

• Kent State enters the weekend ranked fourth in the MAC with a 14.69 digs-per-set average and fifth in the league with a .200 opponent’s attack percentage … The Golden Flashes have held opponents to sub-.200 hitting marks in 12 matches this season, including holding North Dakota to a .028 (29-26-109) rate of success on Sept. 12.

• On the offensive front, Mackenzie McGuire leads the team and ranks third in the MAC with a 3.84 kills-per-set average … McGuire has smashed double-digit kills in nine of Kent State’s 12 league matches this season, including a match-high 12 markers in Tuesday’s setback versus Ohio.

• The Cardinals currently hold a 46-18 lead in the all-time series versus Kent State, including five straight wins … Last season, Ball State picked a 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-22) sweep in the M.A.C. Center on Oct. 19, 2024 … It was BSU’s fifth straight win via sweep in the series and helped the Cardinals improve to 18-9 in matches played in Kent, Ohio … KSU’s last win over BSU was also its last home win of the series on Sept. 24, 2021, by a score 3-2 (19-25, 13-25, 28-26, 25-19, 17-15).

 

BALL STATE QUICK HITS:

• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler has been one of the nation’s top attackers so far this season, ranking fifth nationally with 402 kills for a MAC-best 4.19 kills-per-set average … She has reached double-digit kills in 22 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 13 kills in Tuesday’s win over Miami, Carson Tyler took over sole possession of 18th in program history with double-digit kills in 44 career matches … She has 22 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 243 digs … She has recorded kill/dig double-doubles in 13 matches this season, with her latest coming versus Miami (Oct. 28) … 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 .961 reception percentage, successfully passing 540 of the 562 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 280 total kills, collecting 182 digs and hitting .215 (280-103-823) … A member of the Golden Gopher Invitational All-Tournament Team, VanOort has tallied double-digit kills in 17 of BSU’s 24 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 10 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.

 

• Noelle VanOort reached a career milestone in Tuesday’s win over Miami, smashing the 2,000th kill of her collegiate career … The moment came midway through the second set when her third blast of the match gave BSU a 12-6 edge … 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 280 kills so far at Ball State and her career total stands at 2,004 … She has also collected 1,830 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 373 digs and a 3.89 digs-per-set average this season … Her total ranks third among all MAC defenders, while her average is fourth … Ledbetter has recorded double-digit digs in 21 of BSU’s 24 matches, upping her career total to 44 … 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 .254 attack percentage this season which is first in the MAC and 46th nationally … The mark includes a .263 rate of success over the team’s 12 MAC matches … Green, who dished out a career-high 51 assists twice this season, currently ranks ninth in the MAC with a 7.32 assists-per-set average, with her 695 total assists ranking 96th nationally … She also leads the squad with 30 service aces … Axness, meanwhile, enters the weekend with a 4.42 assists-per-set average and has served up 12 aces.

 

• Junior middle Gwen Crull has turned up the offensive heat over the last seven weeks, reaching double-digit kills for the first eight 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 .413 (97-16-196) 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 13 solo blocks.

 

• Junior middle Camryn Wise enters the week leading the Mid-American Conference with a .381 attack percentage … She has hit .300-or-better in 18 of the team’s 24 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 .418 with just 13 errors on 177 swings, to go along with 87 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 89 kills and a 2.02 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 12 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.