Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
#8 Queens University of Charlotte (MIVA Tournament Quarterfinals)
Top-seeded Men's Volleyball Hosts eighth-seeded Queens Saturday in MIVA Tourney Quarterfinals
April 12, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
MIVA Tournament Quarterfinals
No. 1 Ball State (20-9) | No. 8 Queens University of Charlotte (9-20)
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Queens 0 (3/3/24)
Series History:Â Ball State leads the series 4-0
Setting the Scene:
Coach Cruz: Ball State head coach Donan Cruz enters his third season at the helm of the Cardinals and owns an overall record at BSU of 63-22 (.734) along with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament Championship, three MIVA regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
Match Recap: Ball State closed the MIVA regular season action with two wins last weekend which included a 3-0 sweep over Quincy on April 4 and a 3-2 victory against Mckendree on April 6. Tinaishe Ndavazocheva helped the Cardinals claim its third-straight MIVA regular season title after throwing down 36 kills in two matches while hitting .484 from the floor off 62 swings. Ndavazocheva shined against McKendree with a career best 27 kills and had a .449 hitting accuracy off 49 attacks while also serving up two aces. Ndavazocheva helped the Cardinals pull off the five-set thriller over McKendree Saturday night in Ball State's regular season finale. For the week, Ndavazocheva averaged 4.50 kills per set.
Scouting Queens:Â Ball State took the two-match series over Queens this season at home in Worthen Arena. The Cardinals have won all four meetings against the Royals. Queens brings a 9-20 overall record to Muncie while ending the MIVA regular season with a 2-14 mark after posting wins over Quincy and Purude Fort Wayne. The Royals are led offensively by Jack Brinkman who has 273 total kills while averaging 3.70 kills per set.Â
MIVA Tourney Time: This is the third year in a row the Cardinals have earned the MIVA regular season title and the top seed in the tournament giving BSU the right to host. A Ball State win will advance the Cardinals to the semifinals where they will host all four teams in Worthen Arena on Thursday, April 18. The first semifinal game will be played at 4 pm ET with the Cardinals playing in semifinal game two at 7 pm ET. Ball State enters the tournament ranked No. 11 in the nation.
MIVA Postseason Awards: The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season champion Ball State men's volleyball team had three players and its head coach recognized with postseason honors from the league Thursday. Junior outside hitter/opposite Tinaishe Ndavazocheva and sophomore outside hitter Patrick Rogers both were named to the All-MIVA First Team while freshman setter Lucas Machado earned All-MIVA Second Team honors. This is Ndavazocheva's second straight season earning All-MIVA First Team accolades. Cruz was voted MIVA Coach of the Year for the second time in his three years at the helm of the Cardinals. Ndavazocheva, who was tabbed preseason All-MIVA prior to the start of the season, leads the Cardinals in kills (297) and points (335.5). Rogers ranks second on the team in kills (262) and first in hitting percentage (.365). He has tallied 14 double-kill performances with a career best 24-kills against Ohio State (3/34/24). A true freshman, the Cardinals' offense cannot operate without its setter Machado who earns his first postseason conference honor. Machado has dished out 749 assists while averaging 9.60 assists per set. Under Cruz, Ball State has posted three 20-win seasons in a row and a current national ranking of 11. Cruz also guided Ball State to the 2022 MIVA Tournament title and first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2002. Cruz also garnered AVCA National Coach of the Year honors that same season. Cruz currently owns an overall record at Ball State of 63-22 (.741) and a conference ledger of 35-8 (.813).
The Legend Don Shondell: The Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association has announced changes to the MIVA Tournament format. The conference has also announced that future tournament winners will receive the Don Shondell MIVA Championship Trophy.
The MIVA Tournament has been played after every regular season since 1980 except 2020 and was also played from 1964-69. The new format for the MIVA Tournament will reward the highest seeds, providing an advantage for a path to the NCAA tournament via the MIVA's automatic bid.The opening round of the eight-team tournament will be played at the higher four seeds. No. 1 will host No. 8, No. 2 will host No. 7, No. 3 will host No. 6, and No. 4 will host No. 5.Â
The semifinal and final rounds will be hosted by the highest remaining seed in the field. The field will also re-seed. The highest remaining seed will host the lowest remaining seed and the other two teams will play in the other semifinal. The two winning teams will play in the final match for the Don Shondell MIVA Championship Trophy.
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