Box Score MUNCIE, Ind. – UNCG Volleyball suffered a five-set loss (25-12, 21-25, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11) to the Ball State Cardinals on Friday morning inside John E. Worthen Arena, on Ball State University's campus. UNCG battled back after a slow start to force five sets, but were unable to earn the victory. UNCG is now 1-3 in five set matches.
Ashley Muench (Hurdle Mills, N.C./Orange) led the Spartan offense, earning 15 kills in the five sets. Jessica Brezwyn (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) wasn't far behind, tallying 12 kills of her own. Allison Penner (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) earned a team-high 29 assists, while Sara Hohman (Zionsville, Ind./Cathedral) added 18.
Christina Gregory (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) led the defense with 26 digs in the match. She also recorded 24 serve receives without an error. Her four service aces in the match was the best of either team. Ronni Katarzynski recorded 13 digs in the match; the fourth time in six matches she's earned double-digit digs. At the net, Chinwendu Ngwadom (Raleigh, N.C./Chicago State) contributed four block assists and a block solo, as well as eight kills.
UNCG got off to a slow start, dropping the first set 25-12. The Cardinals raced out to a 10-2 lead, forcing UNCG to call both of its timeouts. Ball State ended the set on a 4-0 run. Sabrina Mangapora led all players with eight kills in the first set.
The second set was a different story. The Cardinals and Spartans battled to an 11-11 tie before Ball State got some separation. Four-straight points gave BSU a 15-11 lead. The Spartans responded with a run of their own. Three straight points made it a one-point set again at 17-16 in favor of the Cardinals. It was back and forth for the next several points as UNCG tied it at 21 on a Ball State attack error. The Navy and Gold closed the second set out scoring the final four points. Anna Romaniszyn's (Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek) first kill of the match finished the set at 25-21.
In the third set, UNCG and Ball State were back and forth, with BSU leading 11-9 on another kill from Mangapora. The Cardinals gained some breathing room, going on a 3-0 run to push the lead to 18-14. After a Brezwyn kill cut the lead to 21-17, Gregory willed the Spartans back into the match with three-straight service aces to cut the lead to 21-20. The Cardinals used kills from Brooklyn Goodsel, Ellie Dunn, and Emily Holland to put the set away at 25-22.
After being knotted up at 11 all in the fourth set, UNCG made a 4-0 run, forcing Ball State to call its first timeout of the set. After a Spartan attack error gave the Cardinals a point, UNCG went on another run, scoring four-straight to take an 18-13 lead. UNCG and Ball State exchanged points for the remainder of the set, as the Spartans took it 25-20, forcing a fifth set.
Ball State used a 3-0 run to gain a 6-3 advantage in the final set. The Spartans came within two at 10-8 after another Romaniszyn kill. The Cardinals gained a five-point advantage after a kill from Avery Devoe to bring it to match point. UNCG battled, scoring two points to cut the lead to 14-11 before Devoe and Amber Seaman came up with a block to end the match at 15-11 in favor of the Cardinals.
The Spartans are back in action this evening as they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes at 6:00 p.m. at John E. Worthen Arena.
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