Ball State University
10-3 (4-0MIVA)
Loyola
8-4 (3-2MIVA)
Men?s Volleyball Upsets No. 8 Loyola In 3-1 Final
February 18, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The No. 12 Ball State (10-3, 4-0 MIVA) men's volleyball team put on a show for the fans in Worthen Arena on Wednesday night when it upset No. 8 Loyola (8-4, 3-2 MIVA) in a 3-1 (26-24, 25-23, 20-25, 25-23) final to remain undefeated in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play. For the third consecutive match, junior Mike Scannell topped the Ball State box score with 11 kills, one block assist and one of the Cardinals two service aces.
Two-time defending national champion Loyola dropped the first set in extra points after the Cardinals capitalized on a pair of attacking errors from Nicholas Olson and the set closed at 26-24. Ball State continued to roll with the momentum to post a narrow 25-23 final in the second set after a sneaky kill from senior setter Hiago Garchet.
The Ramblers then came back after the break with its highest team attack percentage of the night of .303 to clinch the third set 25-20, despite junior Alex Pia helping serve up a 4-0 streak for the Cardinals to kick off the set. The battle of the fourth set featured six of Scannell's 11 kills, including the match winner, while the teams pushed through eight tie scores and four lead changes before Ball State was able to close out another emotionally close set at 25-23.
“We can't win matches like that unless we get a lot of different guys contributing and that's really the kind of night it was,” Ball State men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton said. “We spun our rotation in that last game and had different players contributing and it actually worked out really well. Although some of our guys looked like they were showing a bit of fatigue and emotional strain, [Marcin] Niemczewski came back in the fourth game to help pick us back up a bit.”
The victory marks the first time since April 13, 2013 that Ball State has inched past the Ramblers, with the win also occurring at home. The Cardinals continued to benefit from its opponent's attacking errors and held to just 20, compared to Loyola's 31, making it the eighth consecutive match in which Ball State has held the advantage in the category.
“This is great, it means a lot to us and we have to keep working hard and playing well, if not better,” Garchet said of the upset. “The message from the coach in the locker room was just to stay focused and believe that we can do it; if we did it twice we could do it a third time and win the game. We have had some great wins so far, and this is just another one.”
The Cardinals also held the edge in attack percentage (.204-.160) and blocks (9.0-8.0), although the Ramblers tallied more aces (3-2) and kills (56-48), with both teams standing square with 49 digs. Ultimately, the teams battled through 31 tie scores as well as 14 lead changes before the Cardinals pulled ahead with the upset.
Individually, defensive standouts included freshman libero Adam Wessel who earned a season-high of 18 digs, while both Pia and sophomore Matt Walsh notched four total blocks. Walsh also earned the second Ball State ace, while the entire defensive squad pressured the Ramblers throughout the four sets.
“We just needed to make sure our defense was in the right places against the right guys and I thought that is what we did especially well tonight,” Walton added. “We frustrated [Loyola's Ricky] Gevis who has had good numbers for them. Walsh made some big blocks late, and Pia was serving the ball down one sideline making it very difficult for them to slide out in that rotation. It was pretty big that Wessel marked those 18 digs tonight, but overall it was a team effort.”
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will take on another major MIVA rival in No. 14 Lewis tomorrow, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and will hold a team poster signing session after the match.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men's volleyball action, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB on Twitter and Instagram.
