Ball State University Athletics
No. 10 Men's Volleyball Opens MIVA Action with 3-0 Sweep at Lewis
February 03, 2006 | Men's Volleyball
Romeoville, Ill. - - The No. 10 Ball State men's volleyball team opened its 2006 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association season with a 3-0 (30-25, 30-24, 30-14) sweep of host Lewis Friday evening at Neil Carey Gym. With the win, the Cardinals improve to 7-0 (1-0 MIVA), while Lewis drops to 3-4 (1-3 MIVA).
In the victory, Nick Meyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller H.S.) paced all players with 15 kills, while posting a .636 (
As a team, the Cardinals out-blocked the host Flyers 16 to 2, and held a .420 (44-10-81) to .108 (37-27-93) advantage in attack percentage.
Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) and Zoran Grabovac (Des Moines, Iowa/Hoover H.S.) each tallied a match-best seven total blocks in the contest, while Meyer added five.
Grabovac, Patrick Durbin (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.) and Evan Berg (Bristol, Wis./Central H.S.) would each collect seven kills in the win, while Ian Peckler (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills H.S.) scored a match-high six digs.
In the opening set, Lewis jumped out to an early five-point advantage at the 8-3 mark, and was able to maintain the margin until 14-9. From there, the Ball State offense and defense kicked in as the Cardinals posted nine of the next 12 points to take its first advantage at 18-17. Dave Carlson (Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids H.S.) capped the run with a service ace.
After the Flyers tied the game at 18, BSU took total control of the frame, on a kill from Meyer and blocks on two of the next three plays, moving ahead 21-19. Lewis would draw within one point at 21-20, only to have BSU end the game, at 30-25, on a 9-5 run which included back-to-back block assists from Berg and Grabovac to deflate the Flyers.
Ball State would jump out to an early 3-0 advantage in the second stanza, only to have the Flyers tie the game at seven all. However, Meyer would connect with a kill on the next play and the Cardinals would hold the lead the remainder of the way. BSU would claim a six-point edge at 19-13, on a Flyer attack error, which was mirrored by the final play of the game giving BSU a 30-24 game-two victory.
After falling behind 4-3 in the third game, Ball State tied the frame at 8-8 before closing on a 22-6 run for a 30-14 win. Over the final eight points, seven of which were won the BSU, the Cardinals collected four blocks, including a match-winning solo stuff by Grabovac. Berg would post a nine-point service run in the rally, while Mark Rumschik (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park H.S.) ended the match be serving the final five points.
In the final set, Ball State limited Lewis to a -.147 (
Carlson would pace all players in the match with 37 assists, while collecting three kills, three blocks, three digs and a service ace.
McCarthy added five kills, two digs and a service ace to his seven total blocks; while Grabovac added three digs and a service ace to his seven kills and seven total blocks.
Durbin recorded four total blocks and three digs to go along with his seven kills; while Berg reversed the order with four digs and three total blocks with his seven kills.
Also factoring in the win were Ted Summers-Torres (San Diego, Calif./University of San Diego H.S.) and Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.).
Drew Pickering would pace Lewis with 12 kills, while Jordan Vidovic and Nick Perakes each tallied five digs for the Flyers.
All six of BSU's starters recorded at least three total blocks in the match, while no one scored more than one block for Lewis.
The Ball State men's volleyball team will return to action at Saturday afternoon when they square off at Clarke College at
