Ball State University Athletics
Men's Volleyball 2007 Season Preview
December 28, 2006 | Men's Volleyball
With eight letterwinners returning from last year's team - - including three starters and the libero - - the Ball State men's volleyball team looks poised for success during the 2007 season.
"I really like this year's group, as we return key players in every position with the exception of setter," said ninth-year head coach Joel Walton. "I am excited about our team because we return so many experienced players, all of whom are committed to making this a great season."
Last season, BSU jumped out to one of the most impressive starts in program history, rattling off 11-straight wins to become the last undefeated men's volleyball team in the country. Overall, the Cardinals finished the year with a 21-7 ledger, including an 8-4 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association mark.
Leading the way for the Cardinals in 2007 will be a group of three seniors which includes Nick Meyer, Mark Rumschik and Doug Willmann.
Meyer, a First Team All-MIVA selection last season, returns as one of the top all-around players in the country after ranking in the top 10 nationally in points per game (7th at 5.44), kills per game (9th at 4.55) and aces per game (10th at .370) last season. An ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V University Division Men's At-Large First Team selection a year ago, Meyer enters the season 40 kills shy of 1,000 for his career.
"We want to see Nick have the type of season that will put him in a position to earn All-America honors," said Walton. "His career up to this point has been stellar. Nick sees situations well and has learned how to mix his shots which makes him hard to stop."
Rumschik, who has played in all 60 matches for the Cardinals over the last two seasons, is the team's ultimate role player. Last season, he tallied a career-high 12 service aces, while logging the third-best single match ace total and the fourth-best single match attack percentage in school annals.
"Mark will play a lot of different roles for us this season, as he has the ability to enter a match as an outside, setter, blocker and server," said Walton. "Mark has the work ethic all our players strive to have. He is a very positive leader and a great role model for our student-athletes."
Willmann, who has elected to graduate with his incoming class despite having one year of eligibility remaining due to a medical redshirt in 2005, finished the 2006 season ranked 14th in the league in aces per game (0.24) and 17th in blocks per game (0.78). His 80 kills, 39 total blocks, 15 digs and 13 aces last season were all career-highs.
"Doug gives us his all in everything he does, which makes him another great role model for our younger players," said Walton. "He has improved a lot as a middle attacker and we look for him to post some great numbers this season."
BSU's lone junior eligibility wise is 2006 Second Team All-MIVA selection Ian Peckler. Last season, Peckler dominated the BSU backcourt, tying for fifth in the nation with a 2.78 digs-per-game average. He also scored a Ball State single-match record 29 digs in a win over Carthage (Jan. 20), surpassing the previous mark of 25 set by Walton during his playing days.
"Ian handles the ball well in all situations," said Walton. "He has a nose for the ball and the ability to get to all the right places. He makes a lot of critical plays for our team and keeps us in many rallies."
The Cardinals' returning sophomore class is comprised of three third-year sophomores (Ryan Clarke, Matt McCarthy and Mark Termion) and one true sophomore (Todd Chamberlain).
Clarke enters the year after seeing limited action last season due to a knee injury. Clarke played in just nine matches a year ago, racking up 42 kills and 17 total blocks in 19 games.
"Despite coming off knee surgery, Ryan played well in the fall," said Walton. "He has been healthy and feeling good in practice. He is our most physical middle attacker and has the ability to dominate at the net if he can stay healthy."
McCarthy played in all 28 matches for the Cardinals last season and finished the year ranked seventh in the league in hitting percentage (.349), eighth in blocks per game (1.11), ninth in aces per game (0.28) and 19th in points per game (2.88). McCarthy, along with fellow sophomore Termion, tallied a Ball State single-match record 11 aces at Central State (Feb. 7) last season.
"Matt will be looked to as our top middle attacker and as a team leader," said Walton. "His understanding of the game, energy level on the court and passion are something our guys look to and feed off of both in practice and in matches."
Termion saw limited action last season, playing in just 12 matches. In addition to his single-match ace record, Termion was able to collect 24 total aces on the season, while tagging 40 kills, including a career-high 14 at Mercyhurst (April 8).
"Mark played a ton for us this fall and gained a lot of confidence throughout the season," said Walton. "He is an athletic phenomenon with huge jumping ability. He is also one of our most consistent passers."
Chamberlain, who spent part of the summer on the 2006 USA Men's Volleyball Junior National Training Team, looks to be one of the key players for the Cardinals this season. A year ago, Chamberlain played in 21 matches, recording 103 kills and 60 digs.
"I expect Todd to have a breakthrough year," said Walton. "He is our fastest, best jumping and most explosive athlete. He is someone capable of carrying a large offensive load, as he has the ability to make a kill on nearly every swing."
Ben Irwin is Ball State's only returning redshirt player from last season.
"Ben attacks the ball higher than any of the middles on our team, which makes his attacks hard to stop," said Walton. "He just needs to improve on his timing with our setters before we will see his true potential."
New to the team are redshirt sophomore Justin Orr, as well as six true freshmen - - Billy Ebel, Marcus Imwalle, Ethan Pheister, Jeff Schmitz, Eric Schulte and Matt Sprague.
Orr joins the squad after transferring from the University of Missouri, where he helped guide his club team to the 2006 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association Division I-AA National Championship.
"Justin is a great addition to the team, as he is a proven winner," said Walton. "He is still learning some of the nuances of being an outside attacker after switching from the middle position this fall. However, once he becomes more comfortable in his new role, we expect him to be a dynamic outside attacker for our program."
Pheister and Schmitz look to have very important roles for the Cardinals this season, as Pheister will serve as the team's main setter, while Schmitz will be his backup.
"Ethan will be our starting setter this season," said Walton. "He does a really good job getting the ball to our middles, and his outside sets are becoming more consistent each week. Overall, I am excited that Ethan, as a freshman, has been able to lead our team to a high level of play.
"Jeff enters the season as our backup setter. We expect him to push Ethan all season long and help out in situations where we are struggling.
"I expect both setters to do tremendous things for our program over the next four seasons."
Ebel, Schulte and Sprague also look to see action this season, while Imwalle will redshirt.
"Billy has a great personality and works hard," said Walton. "At this point, he is playing pretty amazing defense. Eric has a hammer attached to his shoulder. We need to get him to challenge the block more and use a better variety of shots. Matt is a solid all-around player. He sees shots, but needs to work on being more physical. Marcus has a great arm, but needs to work on his blocking and footwork."
The Cardinals open the 2007 season Jan. 9, when they host Clarke in the first of three-straight home matches, which includes a date with 2006 NCAA Championship runner-up Penn State on Jan. 12.
"I like this year's schedule from the standpoint of variety," said Walton. "Not only are we playing the best teams from the MIVA and EIVA, we have some great opportunities with MPSF teams this year."
Ball State's first shot at a MPSF team will come during the Springfield Hall of Fame Tournament, when it could possibly battle the University of California at San Diego in the two-day event which runs Feb. 9-10.
The Cardinals will travel to California over spring break, where they will face defending NCAA Champion UCLA in a pair of matches, March 14 and 16. BSU will also take on Pacific when it hosts the Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge which runs from March 23-24.
Ball State will play the first of its 12 league matches Feb. 2, when it hosts Lewis. BSU's toughest league weekend will come Feb. 23 and 24, when it hosts defending MIVA Tournament Champion IPFW and defending MIVA Regular Season Champion Loyola on back-to-back nights. The Cardinals end their league schedule April 13 with a home contest vs. Ohio State.
"In addition to ourselves, I expect IPFW to be one of the league leaders," said Walton. "Ohio State is going to have a strong group of players, and as we have learned the past few seasons, Loyola should not be underestimated. The wild card this season will be Lewis, who returns to MIVA Tournament play after a two-year NCAA suspension."
The 2007 MIVA Tournament begins April 21 with quarterfinal action at campus sites. The semifinals (April 26) and finals (April 28) will be held at the No. 1 seed. The winner of the tournament earns the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Championships.
"One of the nice things about this team is that we do not need one person to step up and lead," said Walton. "There is a group of players that know how to go out and compete and can share in that role.
"We do not want to fall prey to being overconfident. We need to make sure we get in the gym on a daily basis and identify areas in our game where we can improve. If we do that, we have a good shot of attaining our goals of winning the league title and reaching the NCAA Championships"
