Ball State University Athletics
Men's Volleyball Alum Named To U.S. Prelim Roster
April 20, 2015 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - Former Ball State men's volleyball standout Graham McIlvaine has been named to the 25-man preliminary roster for the 2015 FIVB (Federation Internationale de Volleyball) World League Team USA Men's Volleyball roster.
Setter McIlvaine (Hinsdale, Ill.) finished his college career at Ball State in 2014 and played for Marienlyst in Denmark over the winter. Although Ball State did not make it to the NCAA tournament during his time there, McIlvaine did gain a powerful advocate.
Four-time Olympian Lloy Ball, who won a gold medal in Beijing in 2008, recommended McIlvaine to Team USA head coach John Speraw.
“I didn't know much about Graham, but Lloy Ball was impressed by him and so are we,” Speraw said. “He's a left-hander, a good athlete and he had a good year professionally overseas. We had him in the gym and took a look at some video and decided he would be the fourth setter.”
In his time at Ball State, McIlvaine was a three-time Academic All-MIVA (2011, 12, 13) honoree, 2014 All-MIVA Second Team, as well as earned a spot on the Lloy Ball Award Watch List by Off the Block blog. McIlvaine still ranks sixth in Ball State men's volleyball program history with 3,211 career assists, in addition to ranking eighth in program history with his 9.53 career assists per set average.
The FIVB World League is an annual competition in which the top men's national teams from around the world battle through six weekends of pool play in hopes of qualifying for the Final Round and winning a check for $1 million. The U.S. Men are the defending World League champions.
Coaches can select 14 players (with two liberos) from the 25-man preliminary roster for each World League weekend.
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