Ball State University
Loyola University Chicago
No. 11 Mens Volleyball Travels to No. 13 Loyola and PFW This Weekend in MIVA Action
February 15, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
No. 11 Ball State (6-4, 1-1 MIVA) |Â No. 13 Loyola Chicago (9-2, 2-0 MIVA) Thursday, Feb. 16 at 8 pm ET Â |Â Purdue Fort-Wayne (10-2, 1-1 MIVA) Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 pm ET
Series History: Loyola Chicago leads the all-time series 38-24
Last meeting: Loyola Chicago 3, Ball State 0 (4/7/22)
Series History: Ball State leads the series 79-33
Last meeting: Ball State 3, Purdue Fort Wayne 0 (4/23/22)
Setting the Scene:
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
SCOUTING LOYOLA-CHICAGO: The 13th-ranked Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team enters Thursday's match against the No. 11th ranked Cardinals with a 9-2 overall record and a 2-0 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association ledger. The Ramblers' opened MIVA action last weekend on the road with a 3-0 win at Quincy and a 3-2 thriller against Lindenwood. Last season, Loyola Chicago won both meetings against Ball State, a 3-1 victory in Muncie Feb. 19, 2022 and then a 3-0 sweep in Chicago, Ill. April 7, 2022. The last time Ball State defeated Loyola was Feb. 22, 2020Â in Gentile Arena by a score of 3-2. The Ramblers have won four-straight over the Cardinals.
SCOUTING PURDUE FORT WAYNE: - Ball State leads the 112-match series 79-33, which also dates back to 1981. Ball State has won the last five meetings, including the MIVA championship match in 2022. The Mastodons won 12 straight games from 1991 to 1993. Purdue Fort Wayne split their opening weekend MIVA series with a loss to Lindenwood (2-3) and a win over Quincy (3-0). The Mastodons enter the weekend with a 10-2 overall record and a 1-1 conference ledger. PFW will face the 10th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes prior to hosting the Cardinals Saturday.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS: - No. 11 Ball State is looking for its second-straight MIVA win after coming off a 3-1 victory against McKendree Saturday in Worthen Arena. The Cardinals lost to Lewis in five sets in their conference opener. The Cardinals are led by Tinaishe Ndavazocheva and Kaleb Jenness, who both are averaging over 3.00 kills per set. Jenness was the MIVA Player of the Year in 2022 and earned preseason All-MIVA accolades.
NDAVAZOCHEVA EARNS MIVA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK & OFF THE BLOCK NATIONAL HONORS: Sophomore Tinaishe Ndavazocheva of the ninth-ranked Ball State men's volleyball team has earned his first career weekly honor for the Cardinals after being named the Midwestern Intercollegiate Offensive Player of the Week. Ndavazocheva gave Ball State its first win over a ranked foe this week, splitting a two-match series with No. 11 BYU. The sophomore from Masvingo, Zimbabwe finished his week with 43 kills, averaging 5.38 per set. He was efficient with his offense, hitting over .300 in both matches and averaging .393 for the week. The outside hitter also added a pair of aces. Ndavazocheva was also recognized by Off The Block as the nation's Outside Attacker of the Week.
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.
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).
NEXT GAME: After this weekend, Ball State will be on the road at Lindenwood (2/24) and at Quincy (2/25).
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