Ball State University
9-1,3-0MIVA
Purdue Fort Wayne
8-5,2-1MIVA
MVB Rallies Back In Five-Set Thriller Over In-State MIVA Rival PFW
February 17, 2022 | Men's Volleyball
Senior outside hitter Kaleb Jenness has career high 31 kills, ties BSU’s all-time rally kills record
MUNCIE, Ind. - In a battle between longtime in-state and Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) rivals, the No. 7 Ball State men's volleyball team (9-1, 3-0 MIVA) rallied back to an impressive 15-6 fifth set win to take the match from Purdue Fort Wayne (8-5, 2-1 MIVA) Thursday night in Worthen Arena.
For the match, senior outside attacker Kaleb Jenness had a career-best 31-kill performance, tying the Ball State all-time rally kills record.
Other Cardinals reaching double figure kills were graduate senior middle blocker Will Hippe and sophomore outside attacker Dyer Ball.
As a team, the fifth set would be the Cardinals' best set offensively tonight with a .667 hitting percentage while holding the Mastodons to a .118 attack percentage.
After the Cardinals were victorious in the first set, 25-21, they had some momentum going into the second frame of action.
So much so that BSU had led by as many as six (21-15) late in frame. But the tides quickly turned and PFW made some key plays while Ball State struggled on both offense and defense allowing the Mastodons to take set two, 28-26.
The competition was tight throughout the third and the fourth sets and a fifth set was on the horizon. The match was tied for the 28th time (17-17) late in the fourth stanza.
The remainder of the fourth frame went point-for-point. Ball State went up 21-19 after a few good serves from graduate senior setter Quinn Isaacson and some key kills from Jenness. The Cardinals would then extend the match into a fifth set after HIppe threw one down for set point, 25-20.
In the fifth stanza, junior outside attacker Bryce Behrendt served three-straight points for Ball State to give the Cardinals an early 3-0 edge over the Mastodons. The Cardinals dominated the fifth set, 15-6.
Ball State picked up its defense and offense in a major way and would win the match off a kill from Jenness.
The Ball State men's volleyball team continues MIVA action on Saturday when the Cardinals host Loyola Chicago for a 3 p.m. ET first serve in Worthen Arena.
