Ball State University Athletics
IPFW Hands No. 8 Men's Volleyball First Loss of Season
February 17, 2006 | Men's Volleyball
Ft. Wayne, Ind. - - The No. 8 Ball State men's volleyball team suffered its first loss of the season, dropping the battle of Indiana to IPFW, 3-1 (30-20, 35-33, 28-30, 30-24), Friday night at the Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne. With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 11-1 (3-1 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association), while IPFW moves to 5-5 (2-2 MIVA) with the win.
Despite a season-high 22 kills from BSU's Nick Meyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller H.S.), the Cardinals were unable to account for IPFW's C.J. Macias who recorded a match-best 32 kills, two shy of his career high.
Meyer also collected a career-high 15 digs in the contest, bettering his previous high of 14 set last Friday vs. Loyola.
Evan Berg (Bristol, Wis./Central H.S.) and Zoran Grabovac (Des Moines, Iowa/Hoover H.S.) also collected double-figure kills in the loss, posting 10 each. Berg would also add nine digs in the contest, while Grabovac posted a match-best eight total blocks (two solo, six assists).
In the opening set, the Cardinals jumped out to a 5-1 advantage, only to have IPFW rally to tie the score at 9-9. From there the Mastodons controlled the play, building a 20-13 lead before winning the game 30-20.
The second set was the most even of the match, with nine ties and seven total lead changes. After falling behind 24-21, BSU's Grabovac and Patrick Durbin (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.) would post back-to-back blocks on Macias, while Meyer would add service aces on two of the next three plays to give Ball State a 26-24 advantage.
The teams would play to a 28-28 tie before a kill from Meyer gave the Cardinals game-point at 29-28. Unfortunately, a service error would follow and the teams would play to a 33-33 draw. IPFW's Serdar Sikca would break the tie with a kill before Josh Stewart and Macias combine to give the Mastodons a game-two winning block.
The third game saw IPFW play with the lead for much of the early portion of the set, including a 21-19 edge. Ball State would then gain the lead at 24-21 on a five-point run sparked by the serving of Mark Rumschik (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park H.S.).
IPFW would manage to draw within one point at the 29-28 mark, before a Ball State timeout allowed the defense to set up a game-winning block. Grabovac and Durbin would combine on the block to give BSU the 30-28 victory.
The Cardinals' momentum was short lived however, as the Mastodons came out smoking in the fourth and final set by taking a 5-0 advantage. Ball State would draw within one point at 17-16, but not get any closer, losing the game 30-24.
Durbin would end the contest with a career-high seven total blocks to go along with eight kills and six digs.
Ball State setter Dave Carlson (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids H.S.) would dish out 50 assists in the match, to go along with seven digs, six kills and three total blocks.
Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) rounded out the Cardinals' key contributors with six kills and a solo block.
Also seeing action in the match for Ball State were Ian Peckler (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills H.S.) with eight digs and three assists; Doug Willmann (St. Louis, Mo./Francis Howell North H.S.) with a block assist; Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.) with a block assists and Ted Summers-Torres (San Diego, Calif./University of San Diego H.S.).
As a team, the Cardinals were out-hit .333 (79-24-165) to .226 (62-26-159). BSU did manage to hold a slight 13.5 to 13 edge in blocks. IPFW won the backcourt war with 57 digs compared to BSU's 46.
In addition to Macias' 32 kills, three other IPFW players would tally double-figure kills in the match - - Brock Ullrich (14), Josh Stewart (13) and Sikca (11). Macias and Ullrich would also tally double-figure digs, with 14 and 15, respectively.
The Ball State men's volleyball team returns to action tomorrow night, when it visits Carthage for a 5 p.m. (6 p.m. Muncie Time) first serve.
