Saturday, April 8
Muncie, Ind.
7:30 pm
Ball State University
vs
Loyola
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Men’s Volleyball Seniors to be Honored Saturday
April 07, 2017 | Men's Volleyball
13 Ball State vs. No. 10 Loyola-Chicago
Saturday, April 8 (7:30 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind.
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/ballstate/mvball/
Live Video: http://ballstatesports.com/watch/?Live=68&type=Live
MUNCIE, Ind. – Saturday's match against No. 10 Loyola marks the end of the regular season for the Cardinals. It could also be the last time the six Ball State seniors play in Worthen Arena.
The No. 13 Ball State men's volleyball team will be forced to play Loyola again in the first round of the MIVA Tournament, but the results of Saturday's match will determine where that match will be played. Right now, Ball State sits in the fifth place spot at 8-7 in conference play with Loyola right above them in fourth place at 9-6. With a Ball State loss, Loyola will host the Cardinals on Saturday, April 15 in the MIVA Quarterfinals. In order for the Ball State seniors to get one more match at home, Ball State must sweep the Ramblers Saturday and win by more than a combined 19 points.
A lot is on the line in Saturday's match, but before the match begins the team will honor the six Cardinal seniors. This is a senior class that has been a part of two 20 win seasons at Ball State and contributed to the highest ever finish in the Hawaii Outrigger Tournament (2nd place). These seniors have also excelled off the court, combining for 18 Academic All-MIVA awards and earning the team's first ever AVCA Team Academic Award. The seniors being celebrated prior to Saturday's match are Edgardo Cartagena, Connor Gross, Alex Pia, Mike Scannell, Brendan Surane and Nate Wolf.
Edgardo Cartagena has earned three letters as a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team. In his first season as a Cardinal, he saw action in 18 matches and 42 sets, earning three starts and was named to the Academic All-MIVA team. In his second season, the Puerto Rico native had 74 kills, 91 digs, 19 assists and four aces. In total for his career, Eddy has knocked down 183 kills, 23 assists, 157 digs and 29 blocks. Cartagena will graduate with a degree in business.
The senior setter from Appleton, Wisconsin, Connor Gross, is a four year letterwinner as a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team. In his freshman season, Gross saw action in three matches and had a season high six assists in the matches against McKendree and Belmont Abbey. In his second season as a Cardinal, Gross was named to the Academic All-MIVA team after seeing action in 10 matches, earning four starts. In his junior season, Gross appeared in 13 matches and notched a match-high 33 assists and four digs against Grand Canyon. This season's team captain has 989 assists, 169 digs and 49 kills and was named MIVA Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.29 digs per set in the victories over Penn State and Saint Francis. He is currently ranked second in the conference in assists per set with 10.41. Gross excels on the court and in the classroom as he was just named an Academic Top Scholar in the Miller College of Business.
Alex Pia, the middle attacker from Johns Greek, Georgia, has earned four letters as a Ball State Cardinal. Pia earned his place as a member of the Academic All-MIVA team in his first season after playing seven matches and registering a season-high four kills and four blocks against Mount Olive. In his second season, Pia saw action in 16 matches, including four starts, and tallied 28 kills for a .346 attack percentage. As a junior, he played in 105 sets and earned 19 starts. He tallied 104 kills and 41 digs that season. Pia also earned a MIVA Defensive Player of the Week nod along with being named to the Academic All-MIVA team for the second time in the 2016 season. He finished the season ninth in the country in blocks per set after the 2016 season. Pia has knocked down 54 kills for a .465 hitting percentage throughout the 2017 season. Pia will graduate with a degree in marketing with a minor in Spanish.
A native of Orland Park, Ill., Mike Scannell is an outside attacker earning his third letter as a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team. In his first season, Scannell saw action in eight matches and tallied a season high seven kills against McKendree. Scannell earned his first letter in his second season on the team after seeing action in 20 matches, including seven starts. He posted double digit kills on three occasions, including a season high 13 against Princeton. In the 2016 season, Scannell earned 15 starts and tallied a season high 15 kills against Grand Canyon. Scannell has tallied 14 kills, two service aces and two block assists in the 2017 season. For his career, he has 264 kills, 131 digs, and 72 total blocks. Scannell will graduate with a marketing degree with a entrepreneurship minor.
A preseason All-MIVA selection this season, Brendan Surane is earning his fourth letter as a Ball State Cardinal. In his first season as a Cardinal, Surane saw action in 25 matches, including four starts. He was named Off the Block/SpringBak National Freshman of the Week honorable mention twice in his first season and tallied a season high 17 kills against Grand Canyon. As a sophomore, Surane was named to the Academic All-MIVA team and was the only Ball State player to see action in all 100 Cardinal sets. Surane tallied a team –high 30 aces throughout the 2015 season along with 166 total kills for a .416 hitting percentage. Last season Surane was named to the All-MIVA Second Team along with two MIVA Offensive Player of the Week nods. In the 2017 season, Surane has 244 kills, 104 digs, 44 total blocks and 12 service aces. The outside attacker will earn a degree is Logistics Supply and Chain Management.
Nate Wolf, an outside attacker from Park Ridge, Illinois, has earned two letters as a Cardinal. Wolf earned his first letter in 2015 after seeing action in 12 matches. He was named to the Academic All-MIVA Team in 2015 and tallied a career-high 11 kills against Quincy. In the 2017 season, Wolf has nine kills, four digs and two blocks. The outside attacker is triple majoring in business administration, finance, and economics, and is looking forward to working as a real state analyst in the fall in Chicago.
The 2017 senior class has a chance to solidify their legacy with a strong finish in Saturday's match and with wins in the MIVA Tournament.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State men's volleyball team, please follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB.
Saturday, April 8 (7:30 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind.
Live Stats: http://www.sidearmstats.com/ballstate/mvball/
Live Video: http://ballstatesports.com/watch/?Live=68&type=Live
MUNCIE, Ind. – Saturday's match against No. 10 Loyola marks the end of the regular season for the Cardinals. It could also be the last time the six Ball State seniors play in Worthen Arena.
The No. 13 Ball State men's volleyball team will be forced to play Loyola again in the first round of the MIVA Tournament, but the results of Saturday's match will determine where that match will be played. Right now, Ball State sits in the fifth place spot at 8-7 in conference play with Loyola right above them in fourth place at 9-6. With a Ball State loss, Loyola will host the Cardinals on Saturday, April 15 in the MIVA Quarterfinals. In order for the Ball State seniors to get one more match at home, Ball State must sweep the Ramblers Saturday and win by more than a combined 19 points.
A lot is on the line in Saturday's match, but before the match begins the team will honor the six Cardinal seniors. This is a senior class that has been a part of two 20 win seasons at Ball State and contributed to the highest ever finish in the Hawaii Outrigger Tournament (2nd place). These seniors have also excelled off the court, combining for 18 Academic All-MIVA awards and earning the team's first ever AVCA Team Academic Award. The seniors being celebrated prior to Saturday's match are Edgardo Cartagena, Connor Gross, Alex Pia, Mike Scannell, Brendan Surane and Nate Wolf.
Edgardo Cartagena has earned three letters as a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team. In his first season as a Cardinal, he saw action in 18 matches and 42 sets, earning three starts and was named to the Academic All-MIVA team. In his second season, the Puerto Rico native had 74 kills, 91 digs, 19 assists and four aces. In total for his career, Eddy has knocked down 183 kills, 23 assists, 157 digs and 29 blocks. Cartagena will graduate with a degree in business.
The senior setter from Appleton, Wisconsin, Connor Gross, is a four year letterwinner as a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team. In his freshman season, Gross saw action in three matches and had a season high six assists in the matches against McKendree and Belmont Abbey. In his second season as a Cardinal, Gross was named to the Academic All-MIVA team after seeing action in 10 matches, earning four starts. In his junior season, Gross appeared in 13 matches and notched a match-high 33 assists and four digs against Grand Canyon. This season's team captain has 989 assists, 169 digs and 49 kills and was named MIVA Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 3.29 digs per set in the victories over Penn State and Saint Francis. He is currently ranked second in the conference in assists per set with 10.41. Gross excels on the court and in the classroom as he was just named an Academic Top Scholar in the Miller College of Business.
Alex Pia, the middle attacker from Johns Greek, Georgia, has earned four letters as a Ball State Cardinal. Pia earned his place as a member of the Academic All-MIVA team in his first season after playing seven matches and registering a season-high four kills and four blocks against Mount Olive. In his second season, Pia saw action in 16 matches, including four starts, and tallied 28 kills for a .346 attack percentage. As a junior, he played in 105 sets and earned 19 starts. He tallied 104 kills and 41 digs that season. Pia also earned a MIVA Defensive Player of the Week nod along with being named to the Academic All-MIVA team for the second time in the 2016 season. He finished the season ninth in the country in blocks per set after the 2016 season. Pia has knocked down 54 kills for a .465 hitting percentage throughout the 2017 season. Pia will graduate with a degree in marketing with a minor in Spanish.
A native of Orland Park, Ill., Mike Scannell is an outside attacker earning his third letter as a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team. In his first season, Scannell saw action in eight matches and tallied a season high seven kills against McKendree. Scannell earned his first letter in his second season on the team after seeing action in 20 matches, including seven starts. He posted double digit kills on three occasions, including a season high 13 against Princeton. In the 2016 season, Scannell earned 15 starts and tallied a season high 15 kills against Grand Canyon. Scannell has tallied 14 kills, two service aces and two block assists in the 2017 season. For his career, he has 264 kills, 131 digs, and 72 total blocks. Scannell will graduate with a marketing degree with a entrepreneurship minor.
A preseason All-MIVA selection this season, Brendan Surane is earning his fourth letter as a Ball State Cardinal. In his first season as a Cardinal, Surane saw action in 25 matches, including four starts. He was named Off the Block/SpringBak National Freshman of the Week honorable mention twice in his first season and tallied a season high 17 kills against Grand Canyon. As a sophomore, Surane was named to the Academic All-MIVA team and was the only Ball State player to see action in all 100 Cardinal sets. Surane tallied a team –high 30 aces throughout the 2015 season along with 166 total kills for a .416 hitting percentage. Last season Surane was named to the All-MIVA Second Team along with two MIVA Offensive Player of the Week nods. In the 2017 season, Surane has 244 kills, 104 digs, 44 total blocks and 12 service aces. The outside attacker will earn a degree is Logistics Supply and Chain Management.
Nate Wolf, an outside attacker from Park Ridge, Illinois, has earned two letters as a Cardinal. Wolf earned his first letter in 2015 after seeing action in 12 matches. He was named to the Academic All-MIVA Team in 2015 and tallied a career-high 11 kills against Quincy. In the 2017 season, Wolf has nine kills, four digs and two blocks. The outside attacker is triple majoring in business administration, finance, and economics, and is looking forward to working as a real state analyst in the fall in Chicago.
The 2017 senior class has a chance to solidify their legacy with a strong finish in Saturday's match and with wins in the MIVA Tournament.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State men's volleyball team, please follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB.
Players Mentioned
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