Ball State University Athletics
Men's Volleyball Travels To IPFW Saturday for Preseason Tune-up
October 28, 2005 | Men's Volleyball
Muncie, Ind. - - The Ball State men's volleyball team will renew its long-standing rivalry with IPFW Saturday afternoon, as it travels to Fort Wayne for a preseason tune-up versus the Mastodons. First serve between the two programs is set for 2 p.m.
The Cardinals won both matches vs. the Mastodons last season, including a 3-1 (30-25, 30-19, 21-30, 30-19) victory at Worthen Arena on Feb. 15, and a 3-1 (30-26, 30-20, 20-30, 33-31) win at the Gates Sports Center on April 19. In fact, the Cardinals have won the last four regular-season matches between the two clubs.
Under the direction of eighth-year head coach Joel Walton (129-79; .620), the Cardinals return 13 players and nine letterwinners - - including five starters - - from last season's squad which posted a 17-15 (10-6 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) record and finished the year ranked 15th nationally. BSU tied for third overall in the MIVA standings and advanced to the semifinals of the league's tournament where it was eliminated by eventual tournament champion No. 10 Ohio State.
Highlighting the list of returning starters are a pair of all-conference honorees - - Evan Berg (Bristol, Wis./Central H.S.) and Nick Meyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller H.S.). Berg, an outside attacker/libero, earned praise on the All-MIVA First Team after pacing the Cardinals and ranking second in the league with a 2.41 digs-per-game average. The 6-3 senior was the only BSU player to appear in all 115 games and racked up a 2.42 kills-per-game and a 0.33 blocks-per-game average.
Meyer, an outside attacker, picked up All-MIVA Second Team honors after smashing a team-best 4.17 kpg, which also ranked fifth in the league. He also scored 1.43 dpg and 0.77 bpg as a sophomore last season.
Other returning starters for the Cardinals include seniors Dave Carlson (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids H.S.), Luis Castera (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio Rosa-Bell) and Zoran Grabovac (Des Moins, Iowa/Hoover H.S.). Carlson posted a 12.14 assist-per-game average as the team's setter last season, while collecting 1.63 dpg and 0.99 kpg. Castera averaged 3.23 kpg and 1.53 dpg as an outside attacker, while Grabovac averaged 2.46 kpg and 1.00 bpg as a middle attacker.
Sophomore libero Ian Peckler (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills H.S) also returns to the BSU lineup after ranking second on the team and third in the league with a 2.33 dpg average as a freshman in 2005. Other returning letterwinners include juniors Patrick Durbin (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.) and Mark Rumschick (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park H.S.) plus sophomore Doug Willmann (St. Louis, Mo./Francis Howell North H.S.).
BSU's returning non-letterwinners include sophomore Ted-Summers-Torres (San Diego, Calif./University of San Diego H.S.) and redshirt freshmen Ryan Clarke (Ballwin, Mo./Parkway South H.S.), Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) and Mark Termion (Winfield, Ill./Wheaton North H.S.).
New to the program this season are freshmen Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.), Ben Irwin (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove H.S.), Carlos Ramos (Dorado, Puerto Rico/Florida Air Academy), Kyle Royse (Selma, Ind./Wapahani H.S.) and Jim Shiel (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral H.S.).
The Ball State men's volleyball team enters the 2006 season, which will be its 43rd, with a 933-364-8 (.718) overall record. Over the previous 42 years, BSU has collected 21 (2002, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1984, 1979, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1972, 1971, 1970, 1968, 1967, 1966, 1965, 1964) Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Regular Season Championships, 14 MIVA Tournament Championships (2002, 1997, 1995, 1994, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1984, 1968, 1967, 1966, 1965, 1964) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament 15 (2002, 1997, 1995, 1994, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1985, 1984, 1979, 1974, 1973, 1972, 1971, 1970) times.
