Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
18-6 (10-2MIVA)
McKendree
9-10 (4-8MIVA)
Men?s Volleyball Downs McKendree 3-1 In MIVA Play
March 27, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The No. 9 Ball State (18-6, 10-2 MIVA) men's volleyball team welcomed McKendree to Worthen Arena for a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matchup to round out play at home for the regular season.
In addition to a special Senior Night recognition session for Hiago Garchet, Jack Lesure and Marcin Niemczewski, the Cardinals posted a 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory to improve to 10-2 in conference play. All three seniors started the first set, creating a strong dynamic going into the MIVA matchup.
“It was awesome to be on the court with Hiago and Jack. I can't remember the last time the three of us were all on the court for that long together,” Niemczewski said of the Senior Night lineup.
Niemczewski ultimately led the Cardinals offensive lines by racking up 14 kills on the night with a .312 hitting percentage, while sophomore Mitch Weiler jumped for 12 kills with a .286 percentage. Niemczewski also marked one of the three Ball State aces of the night, while Lesure and sophomore Matt Walsh each earned one a piece.
“It's a good feeling to lead the team in kills. It was definitely a team effort,” Niemczewski said. “I guess I just got a lot of balls set to me that I was able to put away. We now have to take this win and run with it because these next few games are going to be crucial.”
Defensively, Walsh led the team by stopping McKendree attacks on six occasions with block assists, while Weiler topped the Cardinal charts with seven digs on the night. Although each of the four games were narrow, it was major blocks and defensive pressure that ultimately led to the Ball State win.
“These guys are willing to work together and overcome some diversity and do the necessary things it takes to walk out of the gym with a W,” Ball State men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton said. “It's a team effort. We have guys coming in off the bench and playing well. We have guys that were starters and have changed roles to be more of a support role.”
Although McKendree held the edge in kills (57-54), aces (5-3) and digs (31-29), Ball State took advantage of the Bearcats 27 attacking errors, while the red and white only committed 13. The Cardinals also held the advantage in team attack percentage (.383-.244) and total team blocks (11.5-4.0) over the course of the four sets, leading them to the conference win.
“It's hard. You go through a journey with each one of the athletes that go through your program. You spend so much time together training, traveling, competing, and each guy brings a different personality to all of that,” Walton said of the three seniors. “We are going to miss Hiago's leadership, Marty's ability to be real steady, and Jack's energy.”
The Cardinals will now hit the road for a four-match stint to round out the regular season, starting at Quincy on April 1, followed by Lindenwood on April 2.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State men's volleyball action, follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateMVB on Twitter and Instagram.
