Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
12-14, 5-9MIVA
IPFW
17-9, 7-6MIVA
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ball State | 18 | 21 | 18 | 0 |
| IPFW | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Men?s Volleyball Falls 3-0 To Conference Rival IPFW
April 05, 2015 | Men's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - - The Ball State (12-14, 5-9 MIVA) men's volleyball team fell to No. 15 IPFW (17-9, 7-6 MIVA) for the second time of the season in a 3-0 (18-25, 21-25, 18-25) final on Saturday night. The loss occurred in the midst of a seven-match Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association stretch, with just two matches remaining in the regular season.
Leading the Cardinals offensively was senior Shane Witmer, who tallied eight kills on 15 attempts for a .467 attack percentage, along with junior Marcin Niemczewski who posted seven kills, one ace and one block assists. Earning his 27th ace of the season was sophomore Brendan Surane, while he also marked four kills, two blocks, and one dig.
Defensively, freshman Matt Walsh marked two of his own block assists with an additional five kills, and libero David Ryan Vander Meer tallied three digs. Setter Connor Gross also posted two block assists and 24 assists throughout the three-set match. Witmer received a team-high of 16 shots with a .889 reception percentage, while Vander Meer marked 13 with a .867 reception rate.
Ball State suffered from 10 service errors and 10 attack errors compared to the Mastodons' 13 service errors paired with 11 attack errors. IPFW also only allowed a total of three lead changes throughout the three sets, and dominated with 10 aces to the Cardinals two.
The 'Dons held the advantage in nearly every statistical category, including kills (41-27), attack percentage (.417-.288), digs (17-12), blocks (6.0-4.0), and total attacks over the Cardinals (72-59) in the course of the three-set match.
The match also hosted a special recognition session for Ball State alum and longtime IPFW head coach Arnie Ball, as it was his final home game prior to his retirement at the end of the season.
The Ball State men's volleyball team will round out regular season play when they travel to Ohio State on Thursday, Apr. 9 and McKendree on Saturday, Apr. 11. The matches are set for 7 p.m. eastern time and central time, respectively.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men's volleyball, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB on Twitter and Instagram.
