Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
#4 Lindenwood (MIVA Tournament Semifinals)
Men's Volleyball Faces Lindenwood Thursday in MIVA Tourney Semifinals
April 17, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
The Cardinals will host two semifinal matches Thursday and will play at 7 pm ET
MIVA Tournament Semifinals
No. 1 Ball State (21-9) | No. 4 Lindenwoood (15-11)
(The Cardinals are ranked No. 10 nationally while Lindenwood is ranked at No. 16)
Last Meeting: Ball State 3, Lindenwood 0 (3-16/24)
Series History:Â Ball State leads the series 25-4
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 64-22 (.734) along with a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament Championship, three MIVA regular season titles and an NCAA Tournament appearance.
First Set: Ball State advanced to the MIVA Tournament semifinals for the third-straight year after taking down the eighth-seeded Queens University of Charlotte last Saturday night in a 3-0 sweep at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals will now face the fourth-seeded Lindenwood Lions Thursday in the second match of the MIVAÂ
Tourney semifinals at 7 pm ET. Ball State is the top seed for the third-straight season earning the Cardinals the right to host the MIVA Tourney semifinals and finals. Ball State enters the semifinals ranked No. 10 in the nation.Â
Scouting Lindenwood:Â Lindenwood advanced to the MIVA Tournament semifinals after defeating Purdue Fort Wayne in a 3-0 sweep last Saturday. Leading the way for the Lions was Ian Schuller who tallied 14 kills and a .600 hitting accuracy from the floor. The Cardinals defeated the Lions in regular season action in a 3-2 thriller at Lindenwood and then a 3-0 sweep in Muncie. This is the first time Lindenwood and Ball State have faced one another in the MIVA Tourney semifinals. Lindenwood is ranked No. 16 in the latest AVCA national poll.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 finals where they will host either No. 2 Loyola-Chicago or No. 3 Ohio State. The championship match will be played in Worthen Arena at 7 pm ET on Saturday.
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.
