Recap courtesy of Ball State's Athletic Communications Department

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - - The Ball State women's volleyball team opened the 2026 campaign with a thrilling 3-2 (8-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-12) victory over Notre Dame Friday evening at Purcell Pavilion.

"I'm very proud of the resilience the team showed," head coach Kelli Miller Phillips said. "We started out playing tight and it's not easy to bounce back after such a tough start. However, we trusted ourselves, kept steady and suddenly started playing how we're capable."

After dropping the opening two sets, the Cardinals (1-0) found a rhythm early in third and never looked back. One of the matches' defining moments came when senior setter Lindsey Green used a service ace to help spark a 5-0 run which gave Ball State a 7-4 edge in the frame.

Junior outside Ava Smith helped extend the lead to 16-9 with back-to-back blasts, before going on to cap the set with another kill at 25-19. In her Cardinals debut, Smith tied her career high with 13 kills and added a career-best 16 digs for her first collegiate double-double.

"I am not surprised whatsoever by Ava's performance tonight," Phillips said. "She is incredibly dedicated every day in practice, works her butt off and deserves all the success she has."

While the Fighting Irish (0-1) were able to build a 16-13 edge in the fourth set, a kill from junior outside Audrey Geer gave Ball State the serve. Sophomore setter Reese Axness would take advantage, as the Cardinals ran off nine straight points on the way to a 25-21 win the set. 

Geer finished the match with 11 kills and seven digs, while Axness dished out 20 assists and registered 11 digs for her fourth career double-double.

The fifth set opened with a kill from Ball State senior middle Gwen Crull, while an attack error on the next rally gave the guests a 2-0 edge. However, the momentum of the match was set moments later by freshman middle Leah Pike who recorded her first collegiate solo block to push the Cardinals ahead 6-5.

Junior opposite Tiffany Snook would push Ball State's lead to 12-8 in the fifth with her 12th kill of the match, while a blast from Geer gave BSU match-point at 14-11. Two rallies later, Crull would set off Ball State's victory celebration with her eighth kill of the night.

Another key contributor for the Cardinals was junior libero Sophie Ledbetter who led all players with 26 digs, while boasting a perfect reception percentage. Her play kept numerous rallies alive and set up some of Ball State's biggest points of the night.

"Sophie was big time for us," Phillips added. "Her playmaking late in the match put us in control and allowed our offense to play free because they knew she was back there ready to scoop up anything and everything. I love watching her play with such confidence and toughness."

Overall, 11 different players saw action in the match, with each contributing to several key points in the win.

"Our depth was big time tonight," Phillips said. "We have so many people who I have full confidence in to be impactful and that's huge. No matter the circumstances, I feel confident we have great options in every position to come in, be a spark and help elevate our team."

The Cardinals finished the match with 54 kills and a .141 (54-29-177) attack percentage, while limiting Notre Dame to a .185 (51-20-168) rate of success. Ball State also held a 78 to 69 edge in digs.

Sydney Helmers led the Irish attack with 16 kills, while Maya Evens secured a team-best 24 digs. UND would hold a 14.0 to 8.0 edge in total blocks.

The Ball State women's volleyball team concludes play in South Bend on Saturday afternoon with a 3 p.m. first serve versus Xavier.