Ball State University Athletics
Men's Volleyball Travels To MSOE & Carthage
February 17, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
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ON THE ROAD AGAIN: The Ball State men's volleyball team returns to the road this weekend with matches at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Friday) and Carthage (Saturday) . . . Both contests are set for 7 p.m. (CT) starts.
BSU REACHES 1,000: With a 3-0 win over the Milwaukee School of Engineering last Friday (Feb. 13) the Ball State men's volleyball program became just the second in NCAA Division I/II to post 1,000 all-time victories, joining UCLA who enters the week with a 1,178-243 record over 46+ years (as of Feb. 14) . . . The men's volleyball program, which enters the week with a 1,000-393-8 all-time record, is the third athletic team in school history to eclipse the 1,000 win mark, joining baseball (1,353-1,264-14 in 88 years) and men's basketball (1,076-975-1 in 87+ years as of Feb. 15).
BALL STATE VS. MSOE: Including a 3-0 (30-13, 30-25, 30-23) victory last Friday (Feb. 13), the Cardinals are 4-0 all-time versus the Milwaukee School of Engineering, with all four previous matches being played in Muncie . . . BSU also swept the Raiders in the other three meetings - - 3-0 (30-15, 30-20, 30-16) on Jan. 26, 2007, 3-0 (30-19, 30-12, 30-22) on March 17, 2006 and 3-0 (30-11, 30-8, 30-21) on April 8, 2004.
BALL STATE VS. CARTHAGE: Ball State also holds a 4-0 edge in the all-time series with Carthage, including a 3-1 (30-25, 30-25, 25-30, 33-31) road victory in the last meeting March 3, 2007 . . . Saturday's match will mark the third straight contest played at Carthage . . . The series started with a 3-0 (30-12, 30-28, 30-18) BSU victory Jan. 14, 2005 and continued with BSU sweeping a home-and-home series in 2006.
SCOUTING BALL STATE: The Cardinals enter the week with a 3-4 overall record after sweeping MSOE in its lone match last week . . . Todd Chamberlain paces the Ball State attack with a 3.60 kills-per-game average, while J.D. Gasparovic leads the BSU offense and the nation with a .573 (53-6-82) attack percentage . . . At the net, Gasparovic also owns a team and MIVA-best 1.38 blocks-per-game average . . . Ethan Pheister has set the BSU offense to a .274 rate of success this season, while adding 1.23 digs and 1.05 blocks per game . . . Billy Ebel holds down the BSU back court with a team and league-best 3.26 digs-per-game average.
SCOUTING THE MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING: The Raiders enter the week with a 2-8 overall record after being swept by Ball State in its lone match last week . . . Max Martin paces the MSOE attack with a 2.43 kills-per-game average, while Chris Reininger leads the Raiders' offense with a .288 (54-22-111) attack percentage . . . At the net, Reininger also owns a team-best 0.73 blocks-per-game average . . . Chris Brandt has set the MSOE offense to a .170 rate of success this season, while adding 1.84 digs per game . . . Jon Holzbauer holds down the Milwaukee School of Engineering back court with a 3.19 digs-per-game average.
SCOUTING CARTHAGE: The Redmen enter the week with a 4-14 overall record after going 0-4 at the Nazareth College Tournament last weekend . . . Randy Hansen paces the Carthage attack with a 3.38 kills-per-game average, while Tim Walker leads the Redmen offense with a .420 (67-17-119) attack percentage . . . At the net, Tyler Frings owns a team-best 0.82 blocks-per-game average . . . Scott Marita has set a majority of Carthage's games, guiding the offense to a .204 rate of success this season, while adding 0.88 digs per game . . . Tyler Berry holds down the Redmen back court with a 2.65 digs-per-game average.
CARDINALS IN THE POLLS: For the third time this season, the Ball State men's volleyball team finds itself outside of the top 15, pulling in just four points in the latest Bison/AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll . . . Ohio State currently holds the No. 15 slot with 27 points . . . Ball State was ranked 12th in the preseason poll and 13th for three of the previous five weeks . . . After a 1-5 start in 2008, the Cardinals finished the year ranked 10th in the nation after climbing as high as sixth in the final March poll.
TEAM EFFORT LEADS BSU TO 1,000TH WIN: In last Friday's win over MSOE, 14 of BSU's 15 active players helped guide the program to its 1,000th all-time win . . . Redshirt junior Ben Irwin and sophomore James Emming led the BSU offense with seven kills apiece, while sophomore transfer Andy Nelson added six . . . Overall, 11 different Cardinals recorded at least one kill in the contest, with Lee Meyer providing the match winner for one of his five connections with the hardwood floor . . . Overall, over 250 alumni and 18 current student-athletes have helped the Cardinals reach the 1,000 win plateau . . . Eight alumni and program founder Don Shondell have been inducted into the Ball State Athletics Hall of Fame.
BREAKING DOWN THE 1000 WINS: Legendary coach and American Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame member Don Shondell guided the program to 769 wins over his 34-year tenure, while Marvin Gray gave Shondell a brief break by leading the 1965 team to 35 victories . . . In addition, current BSU head coach Joel Walton has led the Cardinals to 196 wins in his 11-plus seasons as mentor.
MORE WINNING MILESTONES TO COME: BSU head coach Joel Walton enters the week with a 196-108 (.645) career coaching record . . . Walton picked up his first career head coaching victory versus Mercyhurst Jan. 17, 1999 . . . His 100th win came versus Springfield College Feb. 1, 2004 . . . In league action, Walton owns a 104-41 MIVA ledger after picking up his 100th career victory at Mercyhurst (March 8, 2008).
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN: When the Cardinals visit the Milwaukee School of Engineering Friday, Ball State's Wisconsin natives Ethan Pheister and Eric Schulte will be playing less than five miles away from their home town of Shorewood . . . In addition, Kenosha, Wis., where the Cardinals battle Carthage Saturday, is less than 50 miles away from the duo's home town.
PHEISTER DISHING IT OUT: After handing out 20 assists last week, junior setter Ethan Pheister enters Friday's match versus the Milwaukee School of Engineering ranked seventh in program history with 1,934 career assists . . . Pheister became the 13th player in program history to log over 1,000 career assists in BSU's win over Mercyhurst (Feb. 16, 2008) . . . Dave Carlson (2005-06) is sixth on BSU's all-time career assists list with 2,153 helpers, while Chris Cooper (1987-90) is the program's all-time leader with 7,281 assists.
TOP DOG: Dubbed "The Bulldog" by public address announcer and BSU men's volleyball alum Steve Shondell, sophomore J.D. Gasparovic leads the nation with a .573 hitting percentage . . . Gasparovic has hit .500-or-better in all seven matches this season, including a .591 rate of success after smashing a career-high 15 kills on 22 swings with just two errors in the win over then No. 11 Lewis (Jan. 30) . . . At the net, Gasparovic ranks first in the MIVA and 10th nationally with a 1.38 blocks-per-game average.
CHAMBERLAIN GOING FOR TOP 20: After collecting three kills versus MSOE, senior Todd Chamberlain raised his career kill total to 682 . . . Chamberlain, who ranks 16th in program annals with a 2.87 career kills-per-game average, needs 163 more kills to pass Lee Killian's (1980-83) total of 844 kills for 20th on BSU's career list.
EBEL DIGGING IT UP: Junior libero Billy Ebel, who has posted double-figure digs in five of Ball State's seven matches this season, enters the week ranked first in the MIVA with a 3.26 digs-per-game average . . . Ebel, who posted a career-high 16 digs at St. Francis (Jan. 24), also ranks third in the nation with his 3.26 average.
THE ATTENDANCE: The BSU men's volleyball team opened the 2009 season with a Worthen Arena record 3,729 fans at the Jan. 17 match versus No. 4 Stanford and followed with 1,507 fans versus No. 11 Lewis (Jan. 30) . . . Since Worthen Arena began hosting BSU men's volleyball in 1992, the Cardinals have cracked the 1,000 mark in attendance a total of 17 times, with 15 of the crowds coming in the last four seasons . . . The largest crowds to watch volleyball in Worthen Arena came when BSU hosted the 1992 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships with 7,391 in attendance for the championship match which saw Pepperdine sweep Stanford April 25, 1992 . . . 5,711 fans attended the April 24, 1992 semifinal matches.
BALL STATE ON THE RADIO: WCRD 91.3 FM will serve as the radio home for the Ball State men's volleyball team during the 2009 season . . . The student-run station is slated to broadcast all 12 home matches, as well as selected road matches and the entire MIVA Tournament . . . James Rider will provide the play-by-play action, while Nick Golden provides the color commentary and Adam Lickliter brings the sideline reports . . . The station also serves as the home for "The Joel Walton Show", a weekly BSU men's volleyball report which airs Tuesdays from 6-7 p.m. . . . All WCRD broadcasts will be streamed live and FREE of charge at www.ballstatesports.com.
