Ball State University Athletics
Volleyball Season Ends with Dramatic 3-2 Loss to Ohio State
April 29, 2005 | Men's Volleyball
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The third-seeded Ball State University men's volleyball team squared off with second seed Ohio State Friday evening in the first of two Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association semifinal matches at Loyola-Chicago's Alumni Gym, losing 3-2 (25-30, 30-26, 22-30, 30-19, 10-15).
Ball State -- ranked 15th in the nation -- dropped the opening game 30-25 to the 10th-ranked Buckeyes. The teams traded service errors early, but both offenses eventually warmed up and the teams stayed within four points of each other until OSU took the game by five. BSU's Nick Meyer and OSU's Andy Cole each totaled six kills in the first frame.
The Cardinals were the first beneficiaries of Alumni Gym's close confines as Luis Castera's attack attempt bounced off of a Buckeye player, hit a light on the ceiling and dropped in for a BSU point to begin the second game. Midway through the second, Ball State jumped ahead by three points and stretched the lead to 22-16 before Ohio State climbed back within one at 23-22. The Cardinals extended their lead back to 29-24 and got a game-winning kill from Evan Berg to take game two 30-26. Meyer continued his strong play by adding six more kills in the stanza.
Ohio State carried a three-point lead through much of the third game before stretching it to six, prompting a Ball State timeout. The Cardinals then proceeded to alternate points with the Buckeyes, which worked in Ohio State's favor as it won game three 30-22. Zoran Grabovac joined the Cardinals' attack, notching four kills in the third and improving his hitting percentage from .167 to .385 in that span. Meyer added seven more kills for BSU in game three.
Ball State ended the even play midway through game four by shutting down the Ohio State offense. The Cardinals picked up their defensive intensity with a few key digs, blocks and by causing numerous OSU attack errors to win the game 30-19 and send the match into a decisive fifth game. Evan Berg made five kills to lead BSU's offense, while the defense held Ohio State's top hitters – Mark Greaves and Andy Cole – to a combined six kills in the game.
A fired-up Buckeyes squad rallied early in the fifth to take an 8-5 lead before the teams switched ends of the court. An Ohio State attack error and back-to-back kills by Meyer and Berg led to a Buckeye timeout at 12-10. The two-point lead grew to four and proved to be too much for the Cardinals, as Ohio State's intensity carried it to a 15-10 win in game five.
Meyer finished with a match-high 23 kills on a .390 attack percentage, followed by Berg's 13 kills (.182), Castera's 12 kills (-.031) and Grabovac's 11 kills (.500). Dave Carlson dished out 53 assists from his setter position.
Ohio State out hit BSU .277 to .245 for the match, including a .357 to .133 advantage in the final game.
Carlson led the Cardinals with nine digs, while Meyer added eight; Berg and Ian Peckler had seven each. Grabovac totaled six total blocks (one solo, five assists) and Meyer had five block assists.
The Cardinals concluded their season with the loss to the Buckeyes, finishing with a 17-15 overall record and a 10-6 regular-season conference mark.
