Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Volleyball Ranked 12th In AVCA Preseason Poll
January 07, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. ? The Ball State men's volleyball team enters the 2009 season ranked 12th in the nation according to the Bison/American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Preseason Poll. The Cardinals open the 2009 campaign Jan. 17 with a 7:30 p.m. match versus eighth-ranked Stanford at Worthen Arena.
Ball State returns 12 letterwinners and five of six starters from the 2008 squad which finished the season ranked 10th in the nation, after climbing as high as sixth, by posting a 21-10 overall record.
Leading the way for the BSU are preseason All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association selections Todd Chamberlain (2008 Second Team All-MIVA) and Matt McCarthy (2008 First Team All-MIVA). In addition, the Cardinals return 2008 Second Team All-MIVA selection Ethan Pheister and the 2008 MIVA Freshman of the Year J.D. Gasparovic.
Bison/AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll (Preseason)
Rank School (1st Place Votes) - Total Points
1. Penn State (14) - 236
2. UCLA (1) - 219
3. Pepperdine (1) - 205
4. Long Beach State - 193
5. Cal State Northridge - 172
6. UC Irvine - 161
7. Southern California - 144
8. Stanford - 127
9. BYU - 111
T-10. Lewis - 89
T-10. Ohio State - 89
12. Ball State - 70
13. Hawai'i - 41
14. UC Santa Barbara - 33
15. George Mason - 21
Others Receiving Votes and appearing on two or more ballots: Loyola-Chicago 6; UC San Diego 5.
