Ball State University
#14 Purdue Fort Wayne
Men’s Volleyball Hits the Road Again for Important MIVA Contests
February 20, 2020 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. – As MIVA play continues, the Ball State men's volleyball team is back on the road for two important matches against No. 14 Purdue Fort Wayne Friday and Loyola Saturday.
MATCH INFO
Ball State at No. 14 Purdue Fort Wayne
Friday, February 21 (7 p.m. ET)
Fort Wayne, Ind.
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Ball State at Loyola
Saturday, February 22 (8 p.m. ET)
Chicago, Ill.
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ABOUT PURDUE FORT WAYNE (6-4, 1-2 MIVA)
The Mastodons enter Friday's matchup as the No. 14 ranked team in the country. BSU and Purdue Fort Wayne played nearly the same teams before conference play started. The lone difference in the results among common opponents was the 'Dons earning a win at George Mason. Pelegrin Vargas leads Purdue Fort Wayne with 130 kills for the year.
SERIES HISTORY
Ball State leads the series with Purdue Fort Wayne 77-31. The 'Dons won both meetings last season for the first time since 2015.
ABOUT LOYOLA (4-9, 1-2 MIVA)
After opening the season with a win the Ramblers lost five straight matches, four of which were against ranked opponents. Loyola will face Ohio State Friday before squaring off against Ball State.
SERIES HISTORY
Loyola owns a 34-23 advantage in the all-time series with Ball State. The Ramblers claimed both meetings against the Cardinals a season ago.
BALL STATE STORYLINES
REVENGE: The Cardinals lost both matches in a season to Purdue Fort Wayne in 2019 for the first time since 2015. The Cardinals will look to get revenge on the Mastodons Friday night.
PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999: Ball State has not beaten Loyola in Chicago since 1999. Every win over the Ramblers since then has taken place in Muncie or on a neutral floor.
FOUR SETS: Before last week's matches, all of BSU's contests had been decided in either three or five sets. Both matches against McKendree and Lewis ended in four sets.
WIN STREAK: Before falling to Lewis, Ball State was riding a five-match winning streak. It was the program's most consecutive wins since it won five in a row in 2018.
RANKED OPPONENTS: The Mastodons will be the fifth ranked team BSU has faced the season. The Cards are 1-3 in such matches so far this season.
For all the latest on Ball State men's volleyball, follow @BallStateMVB on social media and visit BallStateSports.com.
