Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Volleyball Places Two on Preseason All-MIVA Team
December 15, 2008 | Men's Volleyball
Muncie, Ind. - - Seniors Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.) and Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.) have been named to the 2009 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association All-Conference Preseason Team as voted on by the league's six head coaches.
"I am pleased Todd and Matt were both selected on the preseason All-MIVA team," said Ball State head coach Joel Walton. "They are both elite players in their positions and our team will lean heavily on them throughout the season."
Chamberlain, who picks up Preseason All-MIVA honors for the first time in his career, was an All-MIVA Second Team selection in 2008 after ranking 13th in the league with a 2.94 kills-per-game average. BSU's top returning attacker from last season's squad, Chamberlain also ranked 18th in the MIVA with a 1.49 digs-per-game average. In league-only contests, Chamberlain ranked 10th in kills-per-game (3.20), 14th in hitting percentage (.267) and 16th in digs-per-game (1.51).
McCarthy picks up Preseason All-MIVA accolades for the second-straight season after garnering First Team All-MIVA honors last season and second team status in 2007. He enters his senior year ranked 15th in program history with 269 career block assists, while placing 19th with 321 career total blocks. McCarthy finished the 2008 campaign ranked 10th in the nation with a .428 hitting percentage, while ranking 18th nationally with a 1.16 blocks-per-game average.
In addition to the individual honors, the Ball State men's volleyball team was picked to finish second overall among the six league schools. Last season, the Cardinals posted a 21-10 overall record and placed second in the league with a 10-2 mark. BSU was ranked as high as sixth nationally, before ending the year ranked 10th. Lewis was picked to win the MIVA crown in 2009, while defending regular season and tournament champion Ohio State was chosen to finish third. Loyola, IPFW and Quincy rounded out the voting.
"We have worked hard the last two years to improve our team's play and gain respect from the conference coaches," said Walton. "Our second-place ranking shows the league's coaches expect us to be a contender for the title again in 2009. I expect the MIVA to be very competitive this season, forcing this year's champion to play at a consistently high level throughout the entire year."
The Ball State men's volleyball team opens the 2009 season Jan. 17, when Stanford visits Worthen Arena for a 7:30 p.m. showdown. The following week, the Cardinals head to Penn State for a Jan. 23 contest versus the defending national champions.
