Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Volleyball Places 11 On Academic All-Conference Team
April 08, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. ? The No. 15 Ball State men's volleyball team placed 11 student-athletes on the 2009 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Academic All-Conference Team as announced today by the league office.
"Our student-athletes work extremely hard to excel both on the court and in the classroom," said Ball State head coach Joel Walton. "To have 11 members of our team recognized on the MIVA Academic All-Conference squad is a testament to the level of work our players put into their academic studies. While volleyball provides our players with great life experiences during college, their academic work is what prepares them to be successful in life after college."
To be eligible for the MIVA Academic All-Conference Team, student-athletes must have achieved at least a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average on a 4.0 scale after completion of the 2008 fall semester at their respective institutions. A total of 72 players were recognized in 2009, with Loyola pacing the league with 16 selections, followed by Lewis (15), Ball State (11), Quincy (11), IPFW (10) and Ohio State (9).
Mark Termion (Winfield, Ill./Wheaton North H.S.) and Andy Nelson (St. Croix Falls, Wis./St. Croix Fall H.S.) highlight BSU's 11 honorees with a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade-point average, while James Emming (West Chester, Ohio/Moeller H.S.) added a perfect 4.00 GPA during the 2008 fall semester.
BSU's other players on the MIVA Academic All-Conference Team are: Nick Battenberg (Ballwin, Mo./Lafayette H.S.), Todd Chamberlain (Louisville, Ky./Trinity H.S.), J.D. Gasparovic (St. Louis, Mo./Oakville H.S.), Ben Irwin (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove H.S.), Matt McCarthy (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South H.S.), Lee Meyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller H.S.), Ethan Pheister (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood H.S.) and Dominic Spadavecchio (Palatine, Ill./William Fremd H.S.).
As a team, Ball State's 18 players averaged a 3.21 GPA for the 2008 fall semester, in which 12 Cardinals logged a 3.00-or-better GPA. The team's cumulative grade-point average after the 2008 fall semester is 3.11.
