Ball State University
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Men?s Volleyball Snaps Four-Match Skid versus MSOE
January 27, 2007 | Men's Volleyball
Muncie, Ind. - - The Ball State (2-4) men's volleyball team ended its four-match losing streak with a 3-0 (30-15, 30-20, 30-16) victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering (2-4) Friday night at Worthen Arena.
“It was nice seeing out team pass well, which allowed our offense to get back on track,” said Ball State head coach Joel Walton. “Our 13 service aces were also a big plus for our defense. Overall, I thought tonight's match was a positive step for our team and I hope to continue our momentum tomorrow night.”
In the contest, the Cardinals hit a season-high .456 (43-7-79) with seven different attackers hitting .500 or better.
Sophomore Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) led the Ball State offense with eight kills, playing in only two games and hitting for a .800 (8-0-10) rate of success. He also score two service aces.
In the opening set, which featured most to BSU's regular starting lineup, the Cardinals jumped out to an 8-2 advantage and never looked back. BSU would gain its first 10-point edge at 16-6 on a kill from Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.), and take its largest lead of the game (16-points) at 28-12 on another Chamberlain marker. After freshman Matt Sprague (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette H.S.) set up match point at 29-14 off one of his career-high seven kills, Chamberlain would follow with the game-winner at 30-15.
With a mixed-up lineup in the second stanza, the Cardinals were able to jump ahead 7-0, as freshman Eric Schulte (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood H.S.) tallied kills on the first two plays before smashing a third to end the run. With the Cardinals ahead 12-5, McCarthy would tally kills on the next three points and add two more as the Cardinals moved ahead by 11 at 18-7. With Ball State holding a 26-18 advantage, redshirt freshman Ben Irwin (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove H.S.) would tag his first career kill, before adding another to give BSU game-point at 29-19. Another Sprague kill would cap the game at 30-20.
The Cardinals turned to the bench once again in the third set, with a lineup that featured five first-year players, a sophomore and senior Mark Rumschik (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park H.S.) as the libero. MSOE would keep the game close over the first 17-points, trailing by one at 9-8. However, a kill from sophomore Mark Termion (Winfield, Ill./Wheaton North H.S.) would help spark a 5-1 BSU run which helped the Cardinals eventually build a 10-point edge at 22-12. After a Schulte kill gave BSU match-point at 29-16; Schulte, Sprague and sophomore Justin Orr (Gladstone, Mo./Winnetonka H.S.) would combine for the match-winning block assist at 30-16.
Senior Nick Meyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller H.S.) would only see action in the first game, posting five kills on six swings, while adding a pair of digs.
Freshmen setters Jeff Schmitz (Fenton, Mo./St. John Vianney H.S.) and Ethan Pheister (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood H.S.) would combine to guide the BSU's offense to its season-high hitting mark.
Schmitz handed out a match-high 25 assists in the first two games and led the offense to a .509 (30-3-53) attack mark, while posting three digs and a pair of blocks. Pheister set the Cardinals to a .346 (13-4-26) rate of success in the final set, adding 10 assists, four digs and a kill.
In addition to his career-high seven kills, Sprague added career-bests of four aces and two total blocks, while tying a career-high with four digs.
Irwin's four kills, two blocks and one dig were all career-highs, as were Schulte's three service aces and three block assists. Schulte would also smash six kills and add a dig.
Rumschik finished the night with five digs, while junior Ian Peckler (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills H.S.) tied for match-high honors with seven.
Chamberlain would finish the night with five kills, four aces and four digs, while Termion added three kills and a dig and Orr scored three kills and one block.
Also factoring in the win for Ball State were senior Doug Willmann (St. Louis, Mo./Francis Howell North H.S.) with one kill and a block and freshman Billy Ebel (Lenexa, Ka./Bishop Miege H.S.).
Overall, Ball State finished the night with a .456 to .094 (26-18-85) advantage in attacking. BSU also out-dug (32-to-25), out-blocked (6.5-to-2) and out-aced (13-to-1) the Raiders in the contest.
For the Milwaukee School of Engineering, Michael Mocchi paced all players in the match with nine kills, while adding the team's only service ace. Christopher Brandt would tie for match-high honors with seven digs, while adding a team-best 18 assists.
The Ball State men's volleyball team will look for its second-straight win tomorrow night, when it battles three-time defending NCAA Division III champion Juniata at 7:30 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
