Ball State University Athletics
No. 15 Men's Volleyball Closes Regular Season This Weekend
April 15, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
CARDINALS WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON THIS WEEKEND: The Ball State men's volleyball team concludes the 2009 regular season this weekend with the Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge. During the two-day event, the Cardinals will host matches versus No. 7 Penn State and Saint Francis . . . The Cardinals and Nittany Lions square off at 7:30 p.m. Friday in a match which will be televised live on the Ball State Sports Network and webcasted free of charge at www.ballstatesports.com . . . Saturday, BSU will celebrate senior night versus the Red Flash in another match which will be webcasted live on www.ballstatesports.com starting at 7:30 p.m. . . . In addition, both matches will be covered live by WCRD 91.3 FM, the radio home of the Ball State men's volleyball program.
HONORING THY SENIORS:
After Saturday's match versus Saint Francis, the Ball State men's volleyball team will honor its four-member senior class: Todd Chamberlain, Ben Irwin, Matt McCarthy and Mark Termion . . . Chamberlain, McCarthy and Termion are in their final year of eligibility, while Irwin has elected to graduate on time and will not use his final year of eligibility next season.
AROUND THE MIVA:
No. 11 Ohio State secured the 2009 MIVA Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the MIVA Tournament with a 3-0 sweep of IPFW last Friday . . . With the win, the Buckeyes ended league play with a 9-1 record . . . No. 12 Lewis (6-2) enters the week ranked second in the MIVA standings with two league matches remaining, at Loyola and versus IPFW . . . No. 15 Ball State is third at 6-4 and could claim the No. 2 seed in the MIVA Tournament based on head-to-head games won (5-3) versus the Flyers if Lewis drops both its remaining matches . . . IPFW and No. 15 Loyola are currently tied for fourth at 3-5, with the Mastodons currently holding the tiebreaker thanks to a 3-2 win over the Ramblers Jan. 30 . . . Quincy rounds out the league with its 0-10 MIVA mark.BALL STATE VS. PENN STATE:
Penn State holds a 58-20 lead in the all-time series with the Cardinals, including wins in the last seven meetings . . . Earlier this season, the then-No.1 Nittany Lions scored a 3-1 (30-20, 24-30, 30-19, 30-26) victory over the Cardinals at Rec Hall Jan. 23 . . . BSU's last victory over the Nittany Lions came Jan. 14, 2006, when the Cardinals scored a 3-0 (32-30, 30-28, 30-28) win in Rec Hall's South Gym . . . BSU's last home win over PSU, which has won four-straight in Muncie, came Jan. 13, 2004, in the form of a 3-0 (30-26, 30-19, 30-26) sweep.
BALL STATE VS. SAINT FRANCIS:
The Cardinals maintain a 5-3 edge in the all-time series versus the Red Flash, despite a hard-fought 3-1 (29-31, 30-25, 32-30, 30-28) setback at Saint Francis earlier this season (Jan. 24) . . . Since the teams started a home-and-home series in 2007, the winner of the first match has swept the season series, with SFU claiming a pair of wins in 2007 and BSU earning victories in 2008 . . . BSU won the first three matches in the series and holds a 2-1 home record versus SFU.SCOUTING BALL STATE:
The Cardinals enter the week with a 15-8 overall record and ranked 15th in the latest Bison/AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll after posting a 3-2 win at IPFW last Saturday . . . Todd Chamberlain paces the Ball State attack with a 3.28 kills-per-game average, while J.D. Gasparovic leads the BSU offense and league with a .472 (183-31-322) attack percentage . . . At the net, Gasparovic also owns a team-best 1.45 blocks-per-game average . . . Ethan Pheister has set the BSU offense to a .284 rate of success this season, while adding 1.17 digs and 0.99 blocks per game . . . Billy Ebel holds down the BSU backcourt with a 2.77 digs-per-game average.
SCOUTING PENN STATE:
The Nittany Lions enter the week with a 23-3 overall record and ranked seventh in the latest Bison/AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll after sweeping Princeton and George Mason last week . . . Ryan Sweitzer paces the Penn State attack with a 3.47 kills-per-game average, while Max Holt leads the nation with a .551 (222-33-343) attack percentage . . . At the net, Max Lipsitz owns a team-best 1.26 blocks-per-game average . . . Edgardo Goas has set the Nittany Lion offense to a .391 rate of success this season, while adding 1.26 digs and 0.80 blocks per game . . . Dennis Del Valle holds down the PSU backcourt with a 3.16 digs-per-game average.SCOUTING SAINT FRANCIS:
The Red Flash enter the week with a 14-12 overall record after topping Princeton last Thursday . . . Jordan Varee paces the Saint Francis attack with a 5.37 kills-per-game average, while Pete Freyer leads the team with a .378 (178-60-312) attack percentage . . . At the net, Freyer also owns a team-best 1.07 blocks-per-game average . . . Shane Conley has set the Red Flash offense to a .272 rate of success this season, while adding 1.15 digs and 0.73 blocks per game . . . John Wappler holds down the SFU backcourt with a 2.18 digs-per-game average.
CARDINALS IN THE POLLS:
For the second straight week, the Cardinals are tied with Loyola for the 15th slot in the latest Bison/AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll . . . BSU and Loyola both received 22 points in this week's poll . . . So far this season, BSU has been ranked in nine of the 15 polls, and has received points in all 15 . . . The Cardinals have been ranked: 12th (preseason poll), 13th (Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Feb. 2), 14th (March 9, March 23) and 15th (March 2, April 6 and April 13) . . . This week, Ohio State is the top-ranked MIVA squad at 11th, while Lewis is 12th.BREAKING DOWN THE RANKINGS:
So far the season, the Cardinals are a perfect 4-0 in matches in which the squad has been ranked 15th, topping Quincy (March 5), Grand Canyon (March 7 & 8) and IPFW (April 11) . . . BSU is also a perfect 9-0 in matches when it is outside the top 15 . . . However, BSU is a combined 2-8 when it is ranked higher than 15th (1-4 at No. 13 and 1-4 at No. 14) . . . Ball State is also 4-5 on the road when it is ranked, with all four wins coming when it has held the No. 15 slot.
1,012 AND COUNTING:
After scoring a 3-2 win at IPFW last Saturday, Ball State men's volleyball has amassed an overall program record of 1,012-397-8 in 45-plus years . . . The program joins baseball (1,368-1,277-14 in 88-plus years as of April 12) and men's basketball (1,079-980-1 in 88 years) as the only programs in school history to reach 1,000 wins . . . In addition, only one other NCAA Division I/II men's volleyball program has eclipsed 1,000 wins, with UCLA entering the week with a 1,184-251 record over 46-plus years (as of April 10).SPADAVECCHIO STOMPS DONS:
Redshirt freshman Dominic Spadavecchio continued his solid play last Saturday at IPFW by recording his team-leading third double-double of the season, while adding four career-highs . . . He paced the BSU attack with a career-best 20 kills, while his career-high 11 digs ranked second in the match . . . He also logged a career-best .405 (20-5-37) attack percentage, with his 37 swings also being a career-high mark.
MORE ON SPADAVECCHIO:
A starter in the last seven matches, Dominic Spadavecchio has blasted 10-or-more kills in five of the last seven outings, while adding double-digit digs three times for his first three career double-doubles . . . He became the third BSU player to log 20-or-more kill in a match this season with his career-best 20 markers at IPFW (April 11), while his career-high eight service aces versus Quincy (March 28) are the highest match total for a BSU player this season . . . Over the last seven matches, Spadavecchio has tallied 80 kills for a 2.67 kills-per-game average . . . In BSU's first 16 matches, in which he played in 13, Spadavecchio had just 55 kills and a 1.83 kills-per-game average.THE GREAT WALL OF ANDERS:
In last Saturday's win at IPFW, sophomore transfer Andy Nelson tied a career-high with nine block assists . . . In the fourth game alone, he racked up six blocks to help the Cardinals recover from a 2-1 game deficit and eventually win the match in five . . . Nelson enters the week ranked second on the team and fourth in the league with a 1.26 blocks-per-game average.
TOP DOG:
Dubbed "The Bulldog" by public address announcer and BSU men's volleyball alum Steve Shondell, sophomore J.D. Gasparovic leads the MIVA with a .472 hitting percentage . . . Gasparovic, who has hit .500-or-better in 13 of BSU's 23 matches this season, has tallied double-digit kills in 11 matches this season including a career-high 15 kills versus then-No. 11 Lewis (Jan. 30) . . . Over the last eight matches, Gasparovic has smashed double-digit markers six times.HE CAN BLOCK TOO:
In addition to leading the MIVA in hitting, J.D. Gasparovic ranks second in the league with a 1.45 blocks-per-game average . . . In the March 8 win at Grand Canyon, Gasparovic tied a career-high with 13 total blocks (one solo and 12 assists) . . . Gasparovic has posted four-or-more blocks in each of his last 13 complete matches and 17 times overall this season . . . Last season as a freshman, Gasparovic finished the year ranked first in the MIVA with a 1.45 blocks-per-game average.
LOOKING BACK:
The last time a Ball State player led the league in hitting was 2004, when Zoran Grabovac (2003-06) hit .444 to rank first and Andrew Braley (2002-05) hit .442 to rank second in the MIVA . . . Ohio State's Todd Hill was the last player to lead the MIVA and both hitting (.459) and blocking (1.52) in the same season, accomplishing the task in 2001.CHAMBERLAIN CLIMBING THE CHARTS:
With his 16 kills at IPFW (April 11), senior Todd Chamberlain raised his career kills total to 869, moving him up one spot to 19th on BSU's career kills chart . . . Corky Robertson (1981-84) is 18th on the all-time list with 892 career kills . . . So far this season, Chamberlain has posted 20-or-more kills in three matches, while adding double-figure kills in 14 of BSU's 23 matches.
MORE ON CHAMBERLAIN:
Todd Chamberlain also raised his career digs total to 461 and career blocks total to 180 after posting eight digs and six blocks last week . . . Chamberlain is looking to become just the 14 player in program history to record over 850 kills and 500 digs in a career, with Nick Meyer (2004-07) being the last player to accomplish the task at 1,415 kills and 557 digs.EBEL DIGGING IT UP:
Junior libero Billy Ebel, who has posted double-figure digs in 13 of Ball State's 23 matches this season, enters the week ranked second in the MIVA and 10th nationally with a 2.77 digs-per-game average . . . Ebel posted a career-high 18 digs in the Feb. 27 win over IPFW, which is a BSU rally-scoring era record for digs in a three-game match . . . In league-only matches, Ebel owns a 2.74 digs-per-game average.
HEATING IT UP FROM THE LINE:
Since the March 15th NCAA statistical rankings, the Cardinals have climbed from 13th (1.41) to fourth (1.59) in the nation in aces per game . . . Ethan Pheister is BSU's leading server, ranking second in the league and sixth nationally at 0.48 . . . Dominic Spadavecchio is a right behind him, ranking third in the league and seventh nationally at 0.45.MORE ABOUT THE NATIONAL STAT RANKINGS:
In addition to ranking fourth in the nation in serving, the Cardinals are in the top 10 in four other categories . . . BSU ranks eighth in blocks (3.07) and digs (10.41), while ranking ninth in hitting percentage (.284) and win-loss percentage (.652) . . . Individually, J.D. Gasparovic ranks sixth in the nation in blocking (1.45) and would be fourth in the country in hitting percentage (.472) if he was not 10 attempts shy of the 4.0 attacks per game minimum average required to make the list . . . Ethan Pheister (Aces, 6th, 0.48), Dominic Spadavecchio (Aces, 7th, 0.45) and Billy Ebel (Digs, 10th, 2.77) also rank in the top 10 nationally.
WALTON REACHES 200:
Head coach Joel Walton became just the second coach in program history to record 200 career victories with Ball State's 3-2 (29-31, 30-27, 30-25, 23-30, 15-7) win over then-No. 14 Loyola Feb. 28 . . . Over his 11-year tenure, Walton has amassed a 208-112 (.650) career record . . . He picked up his first career head coaching victory versus Mercyhurst Jan. 17, 1999, while his 100th win came versus Springfield College Feb. 1, 2004 . . . In league action, Walton owns a 109-45 (.708) MIVA ledger with his 100th career victory coming at Mercyhurst (March 8, 2008).TEAM EFFORT LEADS BSU TO 1,000TH WIN:
In the Feb. 13 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.
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) . . . The Cardinals have also broke the 1,000 fan mark versus IPFW (1,266 on Feb. 27), Loyola (1,377 on Feb. 28) and Ohio State (1,217 on March 27) . . . Since Worthen Arena began hosting BSU men's volleyball in 1992, the Cardinals have cracked the 1,000 mark in attendance a total of 20 times, with 18 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.
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