Ball State University
11-3 (5-0MIVA)
Lewis
9-6 (4-3MIVA)
Men?s Volleyball Remains Undefeated In Conference With 3-2 Win
February 19, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The No. 12 Ball State (11-3, 5-0 MIVA) men's volleyball team faced its most narrow and emotional matchup of the season when it welcomed Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association foe No. 14 Lewis (9-6, 4-3 MIVA) to Worthen Arena on Thursday evening. Despite clinching the first two sets over the Flyers, Ball State was forced to seal a close 15-12 final in the fifth set to remain undefeated in the conference with a 3-2 (25-23, 25-22, 17-25, 16-25, 15-12) victory.
Junior Mike Scannell continued to top the attack for the Cardinals as he earned 14 kills on the night, including five in each of the first two sets. The momentum lead to Ball State edging the Flyers 25-23 and 25-22 through the first two games, while the Cardinals posted a .312 team attack percentage. Although Lewis challenged back with decisive 25-17 and 25-16 set wins, Ball State was able to recoup with a match-high team attack percentage of .389 in the fifth set for the match win. Sophomore Mitch Weiler did the honors of closing out the evening on a positive note by downing back-to-back kills from set ups by senior setter Hiago Garchet.
“We played a long match last night and now we're putting in this second night of work and it was their first night so they had some guys come in with energy,” Ball State men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton said. “They put in fresh guys off the bench and I have a feeling that has been a core of their second unit in practice and it took us a while to figure them out. Although we played rough in games three and four, we had enough left in the tank to get it done in game five.”
Although he has led the team in kills for four consecutive matches, Scannell was far from being the lone Cardinal to lead the offensive lines. Junior Brendan Surane tallied 13 kills of his own, while Weiler marked 12 and sophomore Matt Walsh notched nine. Although Garchet set up 43 assists with a .358 percentage, junior setter Connor Gross stepped into the fourth set and earned a .429 percentage in the process of tallying six assists.
“It felt great to come in and get a chance. I am typically the backup so anytime I get time on the court is appreciated and a great opportunity,” Gross said of the experience. “I tried to spark some energy into the guys and get them going a bit and I think I did that in a way that carried some momentum into the fifth game. The eight game streak feels great as well as being undefeated in the conference, and we're all really excited going into the weekend. We need to keep working hard and build on this.”
With Ball State leading the conference in total blocks (150) and blocks per set (2.72), and Lewis earning second most with 130 total blocks and 2.35 blocks per set, everyone was prepared for a battle at the net in the blocking game. The five-setter did not disappoint, with the Cardinals defending 15.0 total team blocks, while the Flyers jumped for 13.5. MIVA Defensive Player of the Week Alex Pia led the Cardinals for the fourth consecutive match with seven block assist on the night, while Weiler stopped seven and Walsh earned six.
Other standout stats of the night included Surane's four service aces, a feat that is openly a season-high for the junior outside attack and accounted for two-thirds of the Cardinals aces. Freshman libero Adam Wessel also topped the Ball State defense for the second night in a row with 12 digs.
Although Ball State held the advantage of total team blocks (15.0-13.5) and aces (6-5), the Flyers fought back and benefitted with more kills (63-54), a higher attack percentage (.247-.169) and less attacking errors (25-27).
By no means was the win a simple one for the 12th-ranked Cardinals, as the conference opponents needed to battle through 36 tie scores and 16 lead changes, including 12 ties and six lead changes in the fifth set. Although an exhaustive and lengthy game, Ball State extends to an eight match winning streak. Ball State is now all squared up in the all-time series with Lewis at 26-26, with the last victory coming April 11, 2013 at home, breaking a three-year Lewis winning streak.
“It's a really good start in conference and now I think we are going to be the front runner in the conference,” Walton said of the continued MIVA success. “We still have to get back to work. We have to be more consistent and get our offense clicking again.”
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will round out its six-match home stand as it welcomes MIVA opponents Quincy and Lindenwood to Worthen Arena on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, before heading out on the road for four matches.
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