by MUNCIE, Ind. — Cardinals’ head coach Kelli Miller Phillips stood across from her former team Friday evening as Ball State women’s volleyball hosted No. 11 Purdue at Worthen Arena.
Miller Phillips — a former volleyball player for the Boilermakers — said it was ‘a joy’ to play against her alma mater.
“It brings back great memories and just the joys that volleyball has brought me, as far as connections with so many people and the relationships that are still there,” she said. “It’s just one of those things that I’m really, really grateful for in being able to play in this environment … It’s always a really special night.”
Though Miller Phillips and the Cardinals were looking to defeat the Black and Gold to end a two-game losing skid, the Red and White dropped the match 3-0, falling in their third straight contest.
“We were scoring really well, and our middle [hitters] had a great night offensively,” Miller Phillips said. “They were certainly doing something right on the offensive end that we just could not find an answer for.”
The Boilermakers showed why they are a top 15 team in the country as they jumped to a 9-3 lead in the opening set. Despite the slow start, the Cardinals found momentum and capitalized on a mix of solid offense and multiple Purdue errors.
Sophomore outside hitter Carson Tyler said when it comes to playing a team like the Black and Gold, you have to take every opportunity given to you.
“They have a lot of powerhouse players and a lot of big hitters,” Tyler said. “So being able to slow them down and then kind of take it back to them was important.”
Yet, the Red and White didn’t seem phased by the result as they began the second set with an offensive rhythm. This allowed them to grab an early 4-1 lead. Though Tyler led the Cardinals on offense in the first set, junior middle hitter Camryn Wise recorded four in the start of set two.
Though Ball State’s heavy hitters began to find a spark, so did the Boilermakers. Purdue junior outside hitter Kenna Wollard recorded 18 kills in the first two sets and ended with a match-leading 25. The second set became a grudge match midway through as the two teams traded points.
Miller Phillips said the fight and the number of rallies from the Cardinals were one of the best parts about their play.
“In general, it’s a game of runs. It’s certainly a momentum kind of game, and so the more that you can get those runs on your side and you can play at a high level, you’re going to be playing great volleyball,” she said. “It’s hard to get those runs when you’re playing great competition night in and night out.”
However, Purdue ended the set with poise and topped Ball State 25-21. Just like they left off, the Boilermakers opened the third set with more offensive momentum, starting the frame with a 4-0 lead. While the Cardinals fought back to make it only a 15-13 deficit, Wollard’s dominant outing pushed the Black and Gold to a 25-19 set victory, sweeping the Red and White.
Tyler ended the match leading Ball State with 12 kills, while Wise and junior middle hitter Gwen Crull tied with eight apiece. Junior setter Lindsey Green led with 29 of Ball State’s 34 assists, which was a career-high.
With the Cardinals unable to find the win column the last three matches, the Red and White believe they need to come together as a unit to climb out of the hole.
“We have to find each other, find consistency in our play, and find what works,” Tyler said. “We need to shy away from making mistakes, stay content the whole time and keep finding ways to compete.”
Ball State will return to Worthen Arena Saturday, Sept. 20, to take on Eastern Kentucky at 4 p.m. The match will be the final contest before Mid-American Conference (MAC) play kicks off. With this last test, the team wants to see where they stand before the hunt to get back to the MAC title game starts.
“We just want to carry momentum into the MAC. We’re gonna keep building and growing together and keep building trust because trust is very important when we’re playing volleyball,” Wise said. “We have to trust one another and have each other’s backs, no matter what. You’re gonna make mistakes, but when you have each other’s backs and they have trust, that’s when you can be really good.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
