Saturday, April 10
Muncie, Ind.
7 p.m.
Ball State University
12-7,8-6MIVA
3
vs
1
Ohio State University
9-10,8-6MIVA
1
2
3
4
F
Ohio St.
29
19
25
26
1
Ball St.
31
25
21
28
3
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Men's Volleyball Advances To MIVA Tourney Semifinals With 3-1 Win Over Ohio State
April 10, 2021 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. - The No. 4 seeded Ball State men's volleyball team came up big Saturday night in Worthen Arena as they earned a 3-1 victory over the fifth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament quarterfinals.
It marks the first time since the 2017 season that Ball State will advance to the semifinal round which will be played next Saturday, April 17 at top seeded Lewis.
Ball State 23-year head coach Joel Walton said tonight was a complete team performance and that you do not win a match like this without everyone firing.
The Cardinals (12-7) win tonight over the Buckeyes (9-10) most certainly proved Walton's statement to be true.
Graduate senior Blake Reardon, who was a freshman the last time the Cardinals won a quarterfinal round, had an impressive performance after leading his squad with 19 kills off of 32 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Junior Kaleb Jenness was not too far behind Reardon turning in a 16-kill showing.
No team is successful without a good setter in which senior Quinn Isaacson dished out a game high 53 assists to his counterparts while also leading the Cardinals with 13 defensive digs.
Last weeks' MIVA Defensive Player of the Week, junior Felix Egharevba, registered seven block assists while the team as a whole totaled 19.
Egharevba also had nine kills off of 12 swings for a .667 attack percentage.
To sum things up, tonight's tournament match against the two historic rivals consisted of 30 ties and nine lead changes.
After 13 ties in the first set alone, the score was knotted for the last time at 29 apiece. That's when middle hitter Will Hippe answered with an ace to give BSU the opportunity for set point. Ohio State would then commit an attack error on the next play which would lift the Cardinals past the Buckeyes, 31-29.
After that, Ball State cruised past Ohio State in the second set, 25-19. BSU had some stellar defensive plays at the net along with impeccable placement in kills pushing the Cardinals advantage to 2-0 for the match.
The MIVA regular season matches between these two longtime rivals went to five sets so it came to no surprise the Buckeyes came back to take the third frame from Ball State, 25-21.
The fourth set was a tight one with Ohio State controlling the tempo so it looked as if the Cardinals might have to go into an extra period for the third time this season.
But fortunately, BSU prevailed after Reardon and Jenness had some crucial kills followed by some Ohio State miscues which eventually led to the Cardinals securing tonight's victory over Ohio State.
Walton was a bit emotional after the contest and rightfully so as this was his final home game in Worthen Arena. Walton had announced his retirement from Ball State prior to the start of the 2021 season.
He said he was grateful that Ball State gave him the opportunity to coach at his alma mater. Walton also said after the match he told his guys to be road warriors because he is not ready to stop coaching and wants to keep going.
It marks the first time since the 2017 season that Ball State will advance to the semifinal round which will be played next Saturday, April 17 at top seeded Lewis.
Ball State 23-year head coach Joel Walton said tonight was a complete team performance and that you do not win a match like this without everyone firing.
The Cardinals (12-7) win tonight over the Buckeyes (9-10) most certainly proved Walton's statement to be true.
Graduate senior Blake Reardon, who was a freshman the last time the Cardinals won a quarterfinal round, had an impressive performance after leading his squad with 19 kills off of 32 attempts for a .500 hitting percentage. Junior Kaleb Jenness was not too far behind Reardon turning in a 16-kill showing.
No team is successful without a good setter in which senior Quinn Isaacson dished out a game high 53 assists to his counterparts while also leading the Cardinals with 13 defensive digs.
Last weeks' MIVA Defensive Player of the Week, junior Felix Egharevba, registered seven block assists while the team as a whole totaled 19.
Egharevba also had nine kills off of 12 swings for a .667 attack percentage.
To sum things up, tonight's tournament match against the two historic rivals consisted of 30 ties and nine lead changes.
After 13 ties in the first set alone, the score was knotted for the last time at 29 apiece. That's when middle hitter Will Hippe answered with an ace to give BSU the opportunity for set point. Ohio State would then commit an attack error on the next play which would lift the Cardinals past the Buckeyes, 31-29.
After that, Ball State cruised past Ohio State in the second set, 25-19. BSU had some stellar defensive plays at the net along with impeccable placement in kills pushing the Cardinals advantage to 2-0 for the match.
The MIVA regular season matches between these two longtime rivals went to five sets so it came to no surprise the Buckeyes came back to take the third frame from Ball State, 25-21.
The fourth set was a tight one with Ohio State controlling the tempo so it looked as if the Cardinals might have to go into an extra period for the third time this season.
But fortunately, BSU prevailed after Reardon and Jenness had some crucial kills followed by some Ohio State miscues which eventually led to the Cardinals securing tonight's victory over Ohio State.
Walton was a bit emotional after the contest and rightfully so as this was his final home game in Worthen Arena. Walton had announced his retirement from Ball State prior to the start of the 2021 season.
He said he was grateful that Ball State gave him the opportunity to coach at his alma mater. Walton also said after the match he told his guys to be road warriors because he is not ready to stop coaching and wants to keep going.
Team Stats
OSU
BSU
Kills
69
61
Errors
24
14
Attempts
135
121
Hitting %
.333
.388
Points
81
73.5
Assists
65
59
Aces
2
3
Blocks
10
9.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
19
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
16
Aces
1
Blocks
4
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
7
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Players Mentioned
MA
/ Men's Volleyball
MA
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's VolleyballOA
/ Men's VolleyballOA
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