THIS WEEK IN BALL STATE VOLLEYBALL: The Ball State women’s volleyball team returns to action Friday when it battles both Colgate (10:30 a.m.) and UConn (4:30 p.m.) on the first day of the UConn Challenge … The Cardinals close the event Saturday with an 11:30 a.m. start versus South Dakota.
FOLLOW THE ACTION: Fans unable to make their way to the UConn Volleyball Center this weekend have several ways to follow the action … All three Ball State matches will be broadcast live on UConn+ … In addition, live stats will be available online courtesy of UConn … 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 2025 season with a 1035-660-2 (.610) 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).
BALL STATE IN THE MAC: With a 13-5 league record in 2024, Ball State maintained its status as the winningest program in league play with a 459-225 (.671) all-time Mid-American Conference mark … Western Michigan is second on the list, two matches behind the Cardinals at 457-227 (.668).
ALL-TIME VS. THE TOURNAMENT FIELD: Ball State is a combined 1-2 all-time versus the UConn Challenge Field … Ball State won the lone previous meeting versus the host Huskies with a 3-1 (31-29, 30-26, 22-230, 30-28) victory in the New Hampshire Tournament Sept. 6, 2003 … South Dakota won both previous meetings versus the Cardinals, with the latest being a 3-1 (25-13, 21-25, 26-24, 25-19) victory Sept. 3, 2016 at the Omaha Classic … Ball State will be facing Colgate for the first time in women’s volleyball Friday.
SCOUTING BALL STATE:
• Ball State opened the 2025 season by going 1-2 at the Golden Gopher Classic hosted by No. 11 Minnesota … After opening the season with a 3-2 victory over St. Thomas, the Cardinals suffered a 3-0 setback to the nationally ranked Gophers and a 3-2 loss to Cal Poly.
• Despite the losses, Ball State still turned in solid numbers on offense, ranking third in the MAC and 85th nationally with a .251 hitting percentage opening weekend … The Cardinals 13.56 kills-per-set average was 68th nationally, with sophomore outside Carson Tyler and graduate student outside Noelle VanOort tied for 101st nationally at 3.85 kills per set.
• Sophomore libero Sophie Ledbetter turned in a solid effort in the backcourt over Ball State’s three matches in Minneapolis, collecting 50 total digs for a 3.85 digs-per-set average … The effort has her ranked sixth in the MAC and 149th nationally.
SCOUTING COLGATE:
• The Raiders started its season with a 3-0 setback at Colorado State last Friday in Fort Collins, before heading to Greeley to earn wins over Northern Colorado (3-0) and Washington (3-2).
• Colgate turned in a solid effort at the net in its first three matches of the season, ranking second among Patriot League teams and 62nd nationally with a 2.55 blocks-per-set average … Lal Akin set the ton at the net, racking up an astonishing 1.64 block per set, including three solo blocks and 15 block assists for 18 total blocks.
• Milan Bayless led the Raiders offense with a 3.60 kills-per-set average, while Tiana Owens was right behind with a 2.73 average … Combined, the pair accounted for 66 of the team’s 108 kills opening weekend.
SCOUTING UCONN:
• The Huskies opened the year by going 3-0 at the Bearcat Classic hosted by Binghamton … UConn bookended a thrilling 3-2 victory over the host Bearcats with sweeps of Lehigh and Fordham.
• UConn was highly impressive from the attack line opening weekend, ranking 14th nationally with a .324 hitting percentage … Audrey Rome led the way, ranking third nationally with a .667 hitting percentage with 31 kills on 45 swings with just one attack error.
• The Huskies were also solid from the service line, tallying 25 aces over its first three matches with its 2.27 aces-per-set average ranking 29th nationally … Grace Maria led the way, ranking 34th nationally at 0.73 aces per set.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA
• The Coyotes enter the UConn Challenge with a 2-1 record after opening the season with a 3-1 setback to an Oregon team which received votes in the top 25 poll, before earning wins over Montana State (3-2) and Prairie View A&M (3-0).
• South Dakota average 13.17 kills per set opening weekend, with five different attackers averaging at least 2.08 … Lauren Medeck led the way with 41 total kills and a 3.42 average, while Ava Ball and Amanda Loschen each scored 28 kills and Morgan Bode collected 25.
• On the defensive front, the Coyotes ranked 59th nationally with a 15.83 digs-per-set average, led by Kamryn Farris and her 4.67 average … Farris also led USD with eight service aces for a 0.67 aces-per-set average which is 57th nationally.
BALL STATE QUICK HITS:
• Graduate transfer outside Noelle VanOort made quite an impact opening weekend, smashing 50 total kills, collecting 28 digs and hitting .333 (50-12-114) to earn all-tournament honors at the Golden Gopher Invitational … In fact, she earned kill/dig double-doubles in both five-set matches while also blasting 20 kills in each of those contests … The effort helped her raise 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.
• Prior to arriving at Ball State, Noelle VanOort finished her four-year playing career at Indiana Tech (2021-24) as a two-time NAIA Third Team All-American … Her 1,724 career kills ranked second in program history, while her 1,648 career digs were sixth … She also set the program standard with 282 career service aces … She continued to find success in her first weekend with the Cardinals with double-digit kills in all three outings and has now smashed double-digit kills in 100 collegiate matches.
VanOort Career Tracker
Kills: 1774
Digs: 1676
Aces: 285
• Noelle VanOort was just as solid on defense opening weekend, earning double-digit digs versus both St. Thomas (Aug. 29) and Cal Poly (Aug. 30) with 10 and 15, respectively … The effort raised her career total to 92 matches with double-digit digs, including her 90 at Indiana Tech … It also helped her raise her collegiate kill/dig double-double total to 70, including her 68 with the Warriors.
• Sophomore outside Carson Tyler was just as impressive on offense opening weekend, earning 50 kills of her own for a 3.85 kills-per-set average … The effort included a season-high 20 kills versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) … 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.
• Carson Tyler has smashed double-digit kills in 25 matches for the Cardinals, including seven with 20-or-more … Her best effort was a career-high 25 kills to help lead Ball State to a 3-2 victory over Wright State (Sept. 20, 2024) … Tyler is one of just 11 players in program history to register 20-or-more kills in at least seven career matches.
• A six-rotation player, Carson Tyler ranked second on the team for the Cardinals opening weekend with 31 total digs … She recorded kill/dig double-doubles in both five-set matches last weekend, raising her career total to seven … Tyler also led Ball State’s primary passers with a .932 reception percentage opening weekend, successfully passing 69 of the 74 serves she faced … Tyler also led the Cardinals primary passers last season with a .963 reception percentage by successfully passed 650 of the team-high 675 serves she faced.
• With 20 kills each in last Sunday’s match versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), 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 paced the Ball State defense with 50 digs and a 3.85 digs-per-set average last weekend … The effort ranked sixth among MAC defenders opening weekend and 149th nationally … She recorded double-digit digs in all three matches, upping her career total to 26 … The effort also included a season-high 26 digs in the season-opener versus St. Thomas (Aug. 29), one shy of her career-high 27 digs set last season versus James Madison (Sept. 6, 2024).
• Sophie Ledbetter turned in a career first in Sunday’s match versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), earning her first collegiate double-double by handing out 10 assists to go along with her 14 digs in the outing.
• Junior Lindsey Green helped guide the Ball State offense with a 97 total assists opening weekend, including a career-high 44 assists versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31) … Green currently ranks eighth in the MAC with a 7.46 assists-per-set average, while combining with freshman Reese Axness to lead the Ball State offense to a .251 hitting percentage which is third in the league.
• Sophomore transfer middle Tiffany Snook turned in one of the best matches of her collegiate career versus Cal Poly (Aug. 31), smashing a career-high 16 kills while connecting for a .481 (16-3-27) rate of success … It was her 10th collegiate match with double-digit kills, including nine in her lone season at Memphis, and was three kills more than her previous career high of 13 at Southern Illinois Sept. 6, 2024.
