Ball State University Athletics
Men's Volleyball Posts 3-2 Record at Lewis Tournament
November 07, 2006 | Men's Volleyball
Romeoville, Ill. - - The Ball State men's volleyball team continued its 2006-07 preseason slate last Saturday by posting a 3-2 record in a tournament hosted by Lewis. In the tournament, BSU scored wins over Quincy, Topshelf and the Shockers, while suffering losses to Oshkosh and Loyola.
In its first match, Ball State scored a 2-0 (25-22, 25-20) victory over Quincy. In the match, freshman Eric Schulte (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood H.S.) paced the Ball State offense with eight kills, while sophomore Mark Termion (Winfield, Ill./Wheaton North H.S.) added seven kills. Defensively, freshman Billy Ebel (Lenexa, Ka./Bishop Miege H.S.) recorded a team-high 16 digs, which was also the highest total in any of the five matches for a BSU player.
Ball State continued its winning ways in the second match of the day, cruising to a 2-0 (25-14, 25-22) victory over Topshelf. In the victory, BSU's offense was spread out with junior Doug Willmann (St. Louis, Mo./Francis Howell North H.S.) and sophomore Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.) each smashing six kills and senior Nick Meyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller H.S.) adding five. Defensively, junior Ian Peckler (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills H.S.) paced the club with nine digs.
BSU suffered its first loss of the day in the third match, falling to Oshkosh by a score of 0-2 (26-27, 23-25). Schulte and Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) each scored six kills in the contest, while Chamberlain and freshman Matt Sprague (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette H.S.) added four each. Sprague also tallied a team-best 10 digs in the contest.
The Cardinals returned to the win column in their next match, earning a hard-fought 2-1 (25-21, 19-25, 15-8) victory over the Shockers. In the win, Meyer turned in BSU's best offensive output of the day, pounding 15 kills. McCarthy would add eight kills, while Sprague collected six. Sprague and Meyer would tie for team-high honors with eight digs apiece in the contest.
In the final match of the day, Ball State could not get past Loyola, falling to the Ramblers 0-2 (18-25, 29-31). This time it was Chamberlain's turn to go off, as he tallied team-highs of 11 kills and nine digs. McCarthy and Termion would each post four kills in the loss.
Overall, the Ball State offense turned in solid numbers over the five matches, logging a .231 (132-61-308) attack percentage. Seven Cardinals recorded double-figure kills, paced by Chamberlain's 25. Meyer added 22, McCarthy scored 19, Schulte smashed 14, Sprague tallied 13, Willmann logged 12 and Termion finished the day with 11 kills.
Defensively, Ebel paced all players with 25 digs in the tournament, while Peckler added 22 and Sprague recorded 21.
The Ball State men's volleyball team will return to the court Nov. 18-19 when it competes in the Preview to the Final Four in New York. BSU starts the two-day tournament Saturday with a 3 p.m. match versus Rutgers in Rochester. On Sunday, BSU will battle the Collegiate All Stars and Mercyhurst in Eden at 11 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively.
