MUNCIE, Ind. — There's a different feeling about Ball State women's basketball this year.
The Cardinals (15-4, 5-1 MAC) are off to their best start in conference play since 2016-17, having already defeated top-seeded Bowling Green and with an enticing home matchup against third-place Akron coming on Wednesday.
BSU's success is not the result of new highly-touted recruit or a favorable schedule. If anything, this winning pace is unexpected considering the team lost two of its top-5 scorers from last season and its best player returned from a major surgery.
But Head coach Brady Sallee has seen this group's commitment grow year-by-year, culminating now with a blend of youth and experience that is putting the team first.