Ball State University
Purdue Fort Wayne
Men's Volleyball Welcomes Purdue Fort Wayne This Weekend For MIVA Opener
February 04, 2021 | Men's Volleyball
Ball State (3-1, 0-0Â MIVA) vs. Purdue Fort Wayne (0-0, 0-0 MIVA)
Muncie, Ind. | Worthen Arena
Watch Game One (Feb. 5): Watch: ESPN3Â | Listen: SL Digital | Live Stats
Watch Game Two (Feb. 6): Watch: None | Listen: SL Digital | Live Stats
Last meeting: Feb. 21, 2020 | BSU lost 1-3
Series History: Ball State leads the series 77-32
Game Notes: Ball State | Purdue Fort WayneÂ
WELCOME BACK TO WORTHEN: The Cardinals are 2-0 in Worthen Arena so far this season after defeating Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 28 by a score of 3-0 and then took the Railsplitters down on Friday, 3-1. Ball State looks to remain undefeated on its home court Friday when it hosts Purdue Fort Wayne in its Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) opener at 7 p.m. ET. The Cardinals fell to the Mastodons in Fort Wayne last year by a score of 3-1. PFW has won the last two meetings over the Cardinals. Prior to that, Ball State hadn't suffered a loss to PFW since the 2015 season.
SCOUTING PURDUE FORT WAYNE: Tonight's contest against the Cardinals will be the Mastodons season opener. PFW has not played in a match since March 10 which resulted in a 3-1 victory for Purdue Fort Wayne against the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras. PFW ended its season last year with a 10-7 overall record and a 3-5 MIVA conference ledger.
WHAT IS A MASTODON: A large extinct elephant-like mammal.
PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH:Â The Cardinals lask week in practice focused on getting their serves in, putting the ball in a good position for less attack errors while also letting the middle attackers get some more action. Ball State did just that in its first match Friday, Jan. 22, as the Cardinals were able to get 90 percent of their serves in play. BSU was also able to control the tempo of the match both defensively and offensively. Bryce Behrendt led BSU with 11 kills off of 22 attacks on Friday, his teammate Brandon Shepherd then saved the day with a tenacious kill in the fourth frame on Saturday that sealed the victory for BSU. Shepherd ended that night with a career high 16 kills.
READY FOR REARDON: BSU vollyeball veteran outside attacker Blake Reardon had an impressive start to the 2021 season earning All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Offensive Player of the Week honors. Reardon was an offensive threat in both matches at George Mason (Jan. 22-23), helping the Cardinals to a 3-1 victory over the 13th-ranked Patriots on Jan. 23. Reardon started the weekend off with a 24-kill performance over George Mason on Friday, nearly giving Ball State the win over the Patriots in five sets. He then mimicked that performance with 25 kills in Saturday's competition on just 46 attacks for a .391 hitting percentage. He also served two of Ball State's seven aces. Reardon came in clutch in some crucial moments during the match to seal the win for BSU. The graduate senior finished the weekend with 49 kills (5.44) for a .320 hitting percentage. He also added 12 digs and five total blocks.Â
PRESEASON ALL-MIVA: Junior outside attacker Kaleb Jenness (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) was named to the Preseason All-Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association team, while the Cardinals were picked to finish third in the preseason poll. Jenness finished the abbreviated 2020 season with a team high 246 kills to earn a spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American Honorable Mention Team.
THE END OF AN ERA:Â One of the winningest coaches in NCAA men's volleyball history will lead Ball State's program for one more season. Head coach Joel Walton announced he will retire following the completion of the 2021 season. A two-time Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Coach of the Year, Walton enters his 23rd and final season at the helm of the Cardinals ranked fourth among active NCAA men's volleyball head coaches (Divisions I, II or III) with 403 career wins, owning an overall record of 403-230 (.637).
