Ball State University
University of Hawaii
No. 6 Men's Volleyball Takes on Defending National Champs No. 1 Hawai'i
January 11, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
The Cardinals will play two matches against the Warriors Thursday and Friday
No. 6 Ball State (0-0) at No. 1 Hawaii (0-0)Â
Thursday, Jan. 12 & Friday, Jan. 13
Live Stats: hawaiiathletics.com
Live Streaming: ESPN+Â
Series History: Hawai'i leads the all-time series 13-5
Last meeting: Hawai'i 3, Ball State 2 (5/5/22) National Semifinals
CRUZ'S FIRST MEMORABLE SEASON: The Cardinals are looking to build off a historic 2022 season which saw Donan Cruz, in his first year at the helm, lead Ball State to a 23-4 overall record and the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship. BSU was also ranked third in the final NVA/AVCA Men's Division I-II Coaches Poll: the highest ranking in program history. Ball State was also the 2022 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions. Cruz was named the 2022 AVCA Coach of the Year last season and MIVA Coach of the Year.Â
WELCOME HOME TO HAWAII: Ball State head men's volleyball coach Donan Cruz was born and raised in Maui. The Cardinals' Keau Thompson who's a freshman opposite hitter this season and sophomore libero Xander Pink are also from the island. Thompson is from Honolulu and Pink is a native Mililani.Â
MIVA/AVCA PREASEASON PREDICTION: The reigning 2022 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season and tournament champions, the Ball State men's volleyball team was picked first in the preseason MIVA poll. In addition, two Cardinals were named to the 12-member preseason all-conference team — outside attacker Kaleb Jenness and middle blocker Felix Egharevba. Jenness was also tabbed as the preseason MIVA Player of the Year. The Cardinals were recently selected No. 6 in the preseason AVCA Coaches Poll.
SCOUTING HAWAI'I: UH is 35-9 all-time in season-openers including an 11-2 mark under head coach Charlie Wade. The Warriors have won nine straight season openers dating back to 2014. This year marks the second consecutive year and third time in four seasons that UH is the preseason No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. UH leads the series 13-5 including a 10-1 advantage in Honolulu against BSU.Â
CARDINAL STANDOUTS RETURN: The Cardinals return veterans outside attacker Kaleb Jenness and middle blocker Felix Egharevba. Jenness has been tabbed preseason All-MIVA three straight seasons. Last year, Jenness was tabbed the MIVA Player of the Year and the MIVA Tournament MVP while also tallying First Team All-MIVA honors. Jenness was also tabbed as First Team NVA/AVCA All-American.  Egharevba, a force to be reckoned with on defense, Egharevba was tabbed to the All-MIVA Second Team for the second time in his career. Last year Egharevba also earned NVA/AVCA All-American Honorable Mention. He ended last season as the 2021-22 NCAA Division NC statistical champion for blocks per set (1.41).
WHAT A WAY TO START THE SEASON:Â Ironically, the 2023 campaign will start against a familiar opponent in two-time defending national champion Hawai'i which earned a hard-fought 3-2 (28-26, 19-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-11) victory over the Cardinals in the national semifinals. Last season in Muncie, the Cardinals topped the then ranked-No. 1 Rainbow Warriors twice during 2022 regular season in Worthen Arena.
THE LAST WIN AT HAWAI'I: Ball State's lone win at Hawai'i came on Jan. 13, 2011. The Cardinals took that match over the Warriors with a 3-0 sweep (25-22, 25-20, 25-17).
USA VOLLEYBALL WINS BRONZE: Ball State men's volleyball senior Kaleb Jenness along with his former teammate and alumnus Quinn Isaacson helped the USA Men's Volleyball team earn the bronze medal at the Pan Am Cup this past summer in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The U.S. led in kills (56-42) and had a .463 hitting efficiency behind Isaacson who dished out 86 assists in four sets (25-16, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21) against Chile.
NEXT GAME: After this weekend, Ball State will host Harvard for its home opener Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. ET in Worthen Arena.
