Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
7-3, 2-0MIVA
Ohio State
8-3, 3-1MIVA
Men?s Volleyball Shuts Down No. 7 Ohio State In 3-2 Upset
February 07, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 15 Ball State (7-3, 2-0 MIVA) men's volleyball team downed No. 7 Ohio State (8-3, 3-1 MIVA) in a dramatic 3-2 (14-25, 16-25, 25-23, 25-11, 18-16) upset on the road in St. John Arena. In the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play, junior Mike Scannell tallied seven total blocks as well as 13 kills in the five-setter.
After falling decisively in the first two sets by 25-14 and 25-16, the Cardinals were able to capture a narrow 25-23 win in the third and ran with the momentum to tie up the match in the fourth with a significant 25-11 victory over the Buckeyes. The battle was far from over in the forced fifth set, as the teams had to fight into extra points before Ball State sealed the rebound win with an 18-16 final.
The fifth set is where Scannell tallied five of his 13 kills of the night, including the match winner, while senior Marcin Niemczewski marked a third of his team-high of 15 kills as well. Sophomore Mitch Weiler earned 12 kills on the night as well as one of the Cardinals two aces.
At the net, Scannell teamed up with sophomore Anthony Lebryk, who marked an astounding eight block assists paired with one solo block. In addition to marking the second Ball State ace at the back line, sophomore Matt Walsh stopped a total of four oncoming Buckeye attacks. Ultimately, nine different Cardinals combined for a total of six solo blocks and 30 block assists, making the 21.0 total team blocks a new season high for Ball State.
In addition to leading the blocking game (21.0-6.5), the Cardinals also held the advantage in attack percentage (.347-.263), digs (37-36), and had less attacking errors (15-28) but fell just short of the Buckeyes in kills (63-56). The Ball State defense was tested as Ohio State's Christian Franceschi tallied seven service aces, while Miles Johnson earned five at the line to total 12 Buckeyes aces in the extended match.
Looking ahead, the Cardinals will use the momentum of a four-match win streak to continue MIVA play by welcoming in-state rival IPFW on Feb. 11 to Worthen Arena. The match will mark the start to a six-match home stand for the Cardinals.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men's volleyball action, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB on Twitter and Instagram.
