Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
6-3 (1-0MIVA)
McKendree
0-2 (0-1MIVA)
With A 3-2 Rebound Win, Men?s Volleyball Downs McKendree
February 05, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
LEBANON, Ill. -- The No. 15 Ball State (6-3, 1-0 MIVA) men's volleyball team opened Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play by coming back in a dramatic 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-15, 33-31, 15-7) victory over McKendree (0-2, 0-1 MIVA) on Thursday evening. Four different Cardinals posted 10 kills or more to help lift Ball State over the Bearcats with three consecutive set wins after dropping the two opening sets, stretch Ball State's current win streak to three.
Topping the offensive lines was junior Brendan Surane who tallied 15 kills, one ace and two block assists. Surane also extended the fourth set by pushing it to extra points with earning six kills to force a fifth, leading to the Cardinals victory. Other offensive standouts included sophomore Mitch Weiler who marked 12 kills, followed by junior Alex Pia and sophomore Matt Walsh who each earned 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Freshman Parker Swartz topped off the offensive attack at a significant time for the Cardinals by downing two of Ball State's four service aces, both in the fifth set.
Walsh also assisted at the net by stopping the oncoming McKendree attacks with one solo block and an astounding six block assists. The defense resulted in 11.5 total team blocks as well as 66 digs. Senior setter Hiago Garchet got in on the mix by earning the other solo Ball State block as well as marking 11 digs and 58 assists on the night.
Ball State opened the match with a strong .367 attack percentage and rounded out the fifth set with a match-high of .417. Ultimately, the Cardinals led the Bearcats in attack percentage (.242-.135), digs (66-55), and total team blocks (11.5-11.0) in addition to taking advantage of McKendree's 32 attacking errors to seal the deal. The conference opponents also battled through 33 tie scores as well as 11 lead changes in the five-setter.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will continue MIVA play in Columbus, Ohio on Feb. 6 when it takes on Ohio State. The matches will be the final road games for the time being, as Ball State will then host a six-match homestand.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men's volleyball action, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB on Twitter and Instagram.
