Ball State University Athletics
2020 Men’s Volleyball Schedule Highlighted by Challenging Road Slate
December 05, 2019 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. – As the new year quickly approaches, Ball State men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton has announced the team's 2020 schedule which features a difficult road slate along with the Don Shondell Active Ankle Challenge and usual lineup of MIVA opponents.
"Our schedule provides us the opportunity to play a lot of good opponents from conferences across the country," Walton said. "Our road schedule in particular will prepare us come tournament time to walk into an opposing gym where the environment isn't comfortable. Hopefully that will pay off at the end of the season."
The Cardinals open 2020 with back-to-back matches in Worthen Arena against Belmont Abbey and Queens on Jan. 10 and 11 as part of the Active Ankle Challenge. Both contests begin at 7 p.m. ET. The comforts of home will not last long though as BSU embarks on a six-match, coast-to-coast road trip immediately following opening weekend.
The road trip begins in California where Ball State takes on Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara on consecutive nights. The Matadors will open the season ranked 13th in the AVCA Coaches Poll, while the Gauchos begin 2020 as the No. 5 team in the country. The Cardinals then spend the following two weekends on the east coast with matches at George Mason and NJIT the first weekend and preseason No. 15 Penn State and Saint Francis the next.
"The toughest stretch in our schedule is those three weeks where we're going back and forth between the west and east coast," Walton said. "That's going to be a big hurdle for our guys to get over. Making it through that stretch as successfully as possible will be a big challenge for us."
MIVA play starts in Muncie for the Cardinals when McKendree comes to town on Feb. 13. After playing host to Lewis on the 15th, the Cardinals then embark on a five-match, conference road swing before ending the year with seven of nine at home. Lewis will open the season as the highest ranked team in the league at No. 6, while Loyola Chicago checks in at 11 and Purdue Fort Wayne at 14. Ball State received eight votes in the preseason poll.
"Our conference, as always, will have a number of top teams," Walton said. "Even the teams that aren't ranked are always quality volleyball teams. Whoever makes it through the MIVA will be battle tested and ready for the end of the year."
In all, the 2020 schedule features six ranked opponents, including Lewis, which played in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals will honor their seniors March 27 against Quincy and close the regular season April 11 at home versus Purdue Fort Wayne. The MIVA Tournament is slated to begin April 18 with host sites to be determined.
For all the latest on Ball State men's volleyball, follow @BallStateMVB on social media and visit BallStateSports.com.
"Our schedule provides us the opportunity to play a lot of good opponents from conferences across the country," Walton said. "Our road schedule in particular will prepare us come tournament time to walk into an opposing gym where the environment isn't comfortable. Hopefully that will pay off at the end of the season."
The Cardinals open 2020 with back-to-back matches in Worthen Arena against Belmont Abbey and Queens on Jan. 10 and 11 as part of the Active Ankle Challenge. Both contests begin at 7 p.m. ET. The comforts of home will not last long though as BSU embarks on a six-match, coast-to-coast road trip immediately following opening weekend.
The road trip begins in California where Ball State takes on Cal State Northridge and UC Santa Barbara on consecutive nights. The Matadors will open the season ranked 13th in the AVCA Coaches Poll, while the Gauchos begin 2020 as the No. 5 team in the country. The Cardinals then spend the following two weekends on the east coast with matches at George Mason and NJIT the first weekend and preseason No. 15 Penn State and Saint Francis the next.
"The toughest stretch in our schedule is those three weeks where we're going back and forth between the west and east coast," Walton said. "That's going to be a big hurdle for our guys to get over. Making it through that stretch as successfully as possible will be a big challenge for us."
MIVA play starts in Muncie for the Cardinals when McKendree comes to town on Feb. 13. After playing host to Lewis on the 15th, the Cardinals then embark on a five-match, conference road swing before ending the year with seven of nine at home. Lewis will open the season as the highest ranked team in the league at No. 6, while Loyola Chicago checks in at 11 and Purdue Fort Wayne at 14. Ball State received eight votes in the preseason poll.
"Our conference, as always, will have a number of top teams," Walton said. "Even the teams that aren't ranked are always quality volleyball teams. Whoever makes it through the MIVA will be battle tested and ready for the end of the year."
In all, the 2020 schedule features six ranked opponents, including Lewis, which played in the 2019 NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals will honor their seniors March 27 against Quincy and close the regular season April 11 at home versus Purdue Fort Wayne. The MIVA Tournament is slated to begin April 18 with host sites to be determined.
For all the latest on Ball State men's volleyball, follow @BallStateMVB on social media and visit BallStateSports.com.
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