by Ball State women’s volleyball loves playing card games.
Euchre and Nertz are just some of the games the Cardinals enjoy. They play so much that they commonly look up new games to try, and it’s not uncommon for a deck to be broken out during what’s supposed to be a study or homework session.
“Any board game or card game that you put in front of us, like any of them, we will play,” sophomore outside hitter Carson Tyler said.
Graduate student outside hitter Noelle VanOort said the moments of competitive fun away from the game help them feel more than a volleyball program.
“I think that’s something that stands out on our team,” she said. “We actually like each other, and we really enjoy spending time with each other.”
But according to them, the bonding moments help the team on the court as well. Their last nine games support that as the Cardinals are on a 9-0 Mid-American Conference (MAC) winning streak and are the No. 1 team in the conference.
“I think when we started MAC play, our vision was that it’s a new season,” Ball State head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. “So you have the non-conference season, and then we kind of flush that away. We learn some things, and our goal is just to make sure we get a little bit better each day.”
The season started with some uncertainty as redshirt junior outside hitter Aniya Kennedy, one of the Cardinals’ top players statistically and in leadership terms last season, was ruled out for the entire 2025 campaign following an injury suffered in last year’s MAC Tournament.
In Ball State’s 12 non-conference contests, the Red and White went 4-8. But after the rough start coming into the conference season, Miller Phillips said the Cardinals knew what they were about and who they wanted to be.
“We’ve had plenty of time to at least understand that this is who we are,” she said. “We’ve had some various things happen [like changing positions], but now those just seem like such in the past that they are normal. People have adapted and found different ways to make sure that they’re bringing different parts to help the greater whole. It’s not one person or one thing that’s gonna make a difference in a team. It’s a collective whole.”
Though Kennedy’s presence was huge for the program last year, there have been multiple Cardinals who have stepped up in the undefeated run. Tyler was named the 2024 MAC Freshman of the Year and was awarded several other honors, such as being a member of the MAC’s All-Freshman and All-Conference teams.
The accolades came after she led the team with 374 kills, and she has picked up where she left off, as Tyler already has 360 kills this year. She leads the conference in the category and is second in the entire NCAA.
“I obviously couldn’t do it without my teammates,” she said. “Everyone is so supportive of one another, but we’re also so good at pushing each other to be at our best.”
Behind her is VanOort with 251 kills of her own.
But while the run has been enjoyed by the Cardinals themselves and their fans, the Muncie community is used to seeing this from their team. In 2021, the program won 19-straight games, and in 2023 and 2024, the team went on 10-game winning streaks.
Miller Phillips said it comes down to the mindset that surrounds the program.
“You can’t take any of those things for granted. You don’t take any wins for granted. But I certainly believe this group has a tradition of understanding the importance of the MAC season,” Miller Phillips said. “I think this team understands that, and we talk about that in the recruiting process and the offseason about how our goal is to win a MAC Championship and to be the best version of ourselves.
“We understand when that time comes, it’s a process. It’s not something where you just blink your eyes and you suddenly earn that. I think this group has really bought into the process. And traditionally, I think that’s what has made this program really strong. It’s a daily grind.”
Yet, the season is far from over. Ball State still has nine games remaining in the regular season before the conference tournament takes place at Bowling Green, Nov. 21-23.
Though they are the top team in the MAC, there is still work to be done, according to the Cardinals’ coach.
“If you get complacent and you start feeling too good about yourself, that’s when you get bit in the butt,” Miller Phillips said. “We talk a lot about whether you have daily habits and processes that you execute regardless of what happened to you before. Then you can feel confident. You’re gonna become the best version of yourself, and I think that’s the real strength of our program, our staff and our team is buying into that and living it and not just talking about it.”
Miller Phillips mentioned items like handling serves better and getting into a better offensive rhythm as things she wants to see improve before tournament time comes. But as the team prepares for the rest of the year, and their next match against Ohio at Worthen Arena Friday, Oct. 24, they look back on what’s gotten them here so far.
They remember all the times when they’re off the court being more than a team, and what the overall goal is: winning a MAC title.
“When we put all of that together, there’s such a determination of achieving that goal,” Tyler said. “There’s a want to be as good as we can be and to defend the name on our jerseys.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
