Ball State University Athletics
Men's Volleyball Hits The Road For A Six-Match Stretch
January 21, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The No. 14 Ball State (3-1) men's volleyball team will commence a six-match road stretch Friday evening when it takes on No. 10 Penn State (2-2), followed by Saint Francis (1-3) on Saturday. After an opening weekend split, the Cardinals rebounded for back-to-back 3-1 victories at home last weekend against Sacred Heart (22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22) and Harvard (22-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-23).
After dropping the first set Thursday evening to the Pioneers, the Cardinals rallied for three straight set wins, battling through 34 tie scores and seven lead changes.
Junior Brendan Surane marked a team-leading 13 kills, one ace and three block assists. Major kills were marked by senior Jack Lesure, junior Alex Pia and sophomore Mitch Weiler, helping the Cardinals build momentum to pull ahead of the Pioneers over the course of the night. Weiler erupted at the front line with nine kills, while Pia held a 1.000 attack percentage through the first two sets prior to closing out with five kills and seven block assists.
Defensively, freshman libero Adam Wessel held down the Ball State backcourt by facing 26 serves and finishing the match with a perfect reception percentage. Weiler also helped solidify the back row with an additional 27 receptions for a perfect 1.000.
The Cardinals again fell short of the Crimson in the first set on Friday evening, but ultimately battled back and closed out the narrow fourth set with a .417 attack percentage.
Surane soared with a 20 kill night, in addition to earning the Cardinals lone solo block, three block assists and one ace. Other standouts at the line included Weiler and Matt Walsh, who each earned two aces on the night. Weiler also stepped up at the net, earning 10 kills, while Walsh marked nine.
A 12-kill effort from senior Marcin Niemczewski helped lift the Cardinals over Harvard through the three consecutive set wins, while the match was closed out from a hardcore attack from senior setter Hiago Garchet. Garchet also posted a team-leading .833 attack percentage, two block assists and an error-free 17 attempted serves.
Nationally, Ball State improved this week from a 15th-ranking to No. 14, and is also ranked fourth overall in blocks per set with 2.79, just behind Pepperdine (3.12), Mount Olive (3.00), and BYU (2.97). Within the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, the Cardinals sit third with 237 kills. Lesure and Surane are ranked in the top-five in the conference in kills per set, while Pia is currently ranked second in the conference in blocks per set with 1.21. Garchet's 10.08 assists rank him fourth in the conference overall as well.
SCOUTING No. 10 PENN STATE: Penn State is currently second in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association with a 2-2 record in non-conference play, while junior Chris Nugent leads the team with 63 kills on 133 attempts hitting .233 on the year. Nugent's mark is followed closely by Jalen Penrose's 57 kills on 119 attempts hitting .193 on the season. The Nittany Lions hold a 61-22 all-time advantage over the Cardinals, although last season, Ball State upset Penn State in a five-setter in Muncie to open the 2015 season. It has been since April 1, 2010 that Penn State earned a win over the Cardinals.
SCOUTING SAINT FRANCIS: The Saint Francis men's volleyball team begins a stretch of five home games and sit 1-3 overall for the start of the 2016 season. The Flash opened with losses to Mount Olive in three sets and Barton College in a five-set heartbreaker. SFU got their first win of the season in an upset win over No. 9 Lewis University last Friday, but followed it up with a loss to No. 6 Loyola-Chicago Saturday evening in three sets. Historically, the Cardinals hold a 13-5 advantage over Saint Francis, including last year's 3-1 victory in Muncie last season.
Live stats and broadcast will be available for fans unable to attend the Penn State matchup at:
LIVE BROADCAST: http://www.gopsusports.com/collegesportslive/?media=517851
Looking ahead, the Ball State men's volleyball team will continue action on the road when it takes on NJIT Jan. 29, followed by George Mason on Jan. 30.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men's volleyball action, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB on Twitter and Instagram.
