Ball State University
Quincy University
Men's Volleyball Heads To Quincy And Lindenwood This Weekend In MIVA Action
March 24, 2022 | Men's Volleyball
Game 17Â
No. 8 Ball State (15-2, 7-1 MIVAÂ | Quincy (4-12, 0-8 MIVA)
Quincy, Ill. | Pepsi Arena
Date: March 25 at 8 pm ET | Watch: GLVSN | Live Stats
Game 18
No. 8 Ball State (15-2, 7-1 MIVA) | Lindenwood (7-8, 3-5 MIVA)
St. Charles, Mo. | Robert F. Hyland Arena
Date: March 26 at 7 pm ET |Â Watch: GLVSN | Live Stats
Last meeting:Â Ball State 3, Quincy 0 (2/25/22)
Series History:Â Ball State has defeated Quincy in 55 of 60 all-time meetings and has won the last six.
Last meeting:Â Ball State 3, Lindenwood 1 (2/24/22)
Series History:Â Ball State leads the series 20-4
NEW ERA: First-year head coach Donan Cruz has started his first year off strong so far this season leading the Cardinals to five-straight wins which included back-to-back victories over No. 1 Hawai'i … Prior to taking over the helm of the Cardinals, Cruz was a four-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) National Coach of the Year at Grand View University … Just the fourth head coach in the storied history of Ball State men's volleyball, Cruz led the inaugural Grand View men's team to a 13-13 mark in 2012 season, on his way to compiling a 211-55 overall record with the Vikings … He concluded his Grand View career with the best winning percentage in NAIA men's volleyball history at .793.
ALSO NEW ON THE STAFF:  Joining Cruz on the Ball State staff are Midwestern Volleyball Association (MIVA) standout and former Lewis University star Mike Iandolo and BYU men's volleyball alumnus Christian Rupert … Iandolo was a two-time All-MIVA First Team selection and spent the last three season as the head coach at the University of Charleston … Rupert helped lead the Cougars to a pair of appearances NCAA Division I/II Men's Volleyball Championship Match, and following a brief professional career, spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant at Princeton.
SCOUTINGÂ QUINCY:Â Quincy has an overall record of 4-12 and is still looking for its first MIVA victory of the year after falling 0-8 thus far in conference play. The Cardinals defeated Hawks in their first meeting on Feb. 25 by a score of 3-0 in Muncie. That contest BSU was led by Bryce Behrendt who tallied 10 kills while Nathan Lawton led Quincy offensively with 10 kills as well. Quincy hasn't played since March 13 when the Hawks defeated Lincoln Memorial by a score of 3-2.
SCOUTINGÂ LINDENWOOD: Lindenwood enters Saturday's match with a 7-8 overall mark and a 3-5 MIVA ledger. The Lions are riding a four-match win streak into their second matchup against the Cardinals this season. Lindenwood is coming off back-to-back 3-2 victories in non-conference play against Lincoln Memorial (March 11) and Limestone University (March 13). Ball State won the first meeting against Lindenwood by a score of 3-1 in Worthen Arena on Feb. 24. The Cardinals were led by Kaleb Jenness who registered 21 kills that contest while Lindenwood's AJ Lewis turned in an 18-kill performance.Â
IN THE NATION: The Cardinals sit at No. 8 in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll after sweeping Ohio State in a two-match away and home series last week. The highest Ball State has ever been ranked was No. 5 and that was in the final poll in 1995. Graduate senior setter Quinn Isaacson still ranks first in the nation among his setting peers with 11.67 assists per set while Ball State as a team also holds the top spot for that same category (13.00). Senior middle blocker Felix Egharevba is second in the nation in blocks per set (1.446) and Kaleb Jenness is third in attacks per set (9.05) and second in kills per set (4.73).
LAST WEEK'S RECAP:Â The Cardinals defeated the Buckeyes on the road last Wednesday in a five-set thriller. The two rivals then met again on Saturday in Worthen Arena. It was an emotional day for Ball State as the Cardinals held a celebration of life Ceremony for Dr. Don Shondell prior to the match. Ball State posted a 3-1 victory over Ohio State to complete the two-match series sweep for the first time since 2014. The Cardinals were led offensively by Angelos Mandilaris who tallied 14 kills while Kaleb Jenness finished the night with 11. Defensively, Felix Egharevba collected nine total blocks while Mandilaris had seven.Â
