Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
3-2
St. Francis
1-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Francis | 23 | 24 | 20 | 0 |
| Ball State | 25 | 26 | 25 | 3 |
Men?s Volleyball Ends Week With Sweep Of St. Francis
January 22, 2012 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - The Ball State men's volleyball team finished a grueling week with a 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-20) victory over St. Francis Saturday evening at Worthen Arena in the final match of the 2012 Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge.
The Cardinals, who played three matches over the last four days, improved to 3-2 overall with the win and avenged last Friday's 3-2 setback to the Red Flash in Loretto, Pa.
Redshirt junior right side attacker Jamion Hartley (North Chicago, Ill./North Chicago H.S.) continued his strong offensive season, pacing all players with 12 kills. He also connected for a .320 (12-4-25) hitting mark, while adding three block assists and a pair of digs.
In the back row, sophomore libero Tommy Rouse (Carmel, Ind./Cathedral H.S.) led the Cardinals with 11 digs, while posting a perfect reception percentage, passing all 15 serves he faces.
At the net, BSU's sophomore middles, redshirt Matt Leske (Highwood, Ill./Highland Park H.S.) and Kevin Owens (Fishers, Ind./Cathedral H.S.) tied for match-high honors with five blocks (one solo and four assists) each. Owens added four kills, while Leske blasted three.
Logan Patterson paced the SFU attack with 10 kills, while Nicholas Bancroft had a match-high 12 digs.
Ball State finished the night with a .195 (33-16-87) to .170 (35-20-88) hitting advantage, and out-blocked the Red Flash 11-5. St. Francis held a 28-25 edge in digs.
With the score tied at 19 in the opening set, the Cardinals rattled off four of the next five points to pull ahead 23-20. A kill from Hartley gave BSU set-point at 24-21, while an Owens blast ended the frame at 25-23.
The teams played to a 23-23 deadlock in the second game, before a kill from junior outside attacker Larry Wrather (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forrest H.S.) gave BSU set-point at 24-23. However a service error kept the guest alive. BSU responded with another kill from Wrather, and took the game 26-24 on a block from Leske and sophomore setter Graham McIlvaine (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central H.S.).
Ball State controlled play in the third game, building an 11-4 edge and never looking back. SFU would get as close as three, at 23-20, but back-to-back blasts from Wrather and Hartley ended the set at 25-20 and the match at 3-0.
The Ball State men's volleyball team hits the road next weekend with matches at Limestone (Friday at 7:30 p.m.) and Pheiffer (Saturday at 1:30 p.m.).
