Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
3-2,0-0MIVA
Brigham Young University
5-0,0-0MPSF
MVB Falls to BYU in First of Two Matches
January 17, 2025 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Cardinals fell in a five-set match against the Cougars Thursday night in Worthen Arena. Â
After a strong first two sets for the No. 6 Ball State team, No. 5 BYU battled back to take a reverse sweep from the Cardinals and win the match 3-2. The Cougars offense overpowered, hitting a .319 from the floor compared to the Cardinals .175 percentage. Â
Rajé Alleyne and Patrick Rogers each recorded 12 kills on the night, followed by Tinaishe Ndavazocheva and Braydon Savitskski-Lynde who both had eight. Savitski-Lynde also hit an impressive .500 clip and added five blocks at the net. He was joined by Lucas Machado who also recorded five blocks, as well as three aces. Â
The first match started close with both teams going point-for-point. After a Cougar kill evened the set 10-10, however, BYU began to build a lead. They went on a five-point run before Alleyne intervened with a kill. The Cardinals responded with their own five-point run with the help of back-to-back aces from Alleyne to tie the set at 16-16. In a come-back run, Ball State won the first set 25-23 on a kill from Ndavazocheva. The Cardinals finished the first match with a strong .333 hitting percentage. Â
Set two started similarly, with the Cougars maintaining a slight lead through the first few points. Ball State took their first lead of the match with a kill from Machado that put them up 15-14. The score remained close, but the Cardinals were able to secure the second set 27-25 on a Cougar error. Â
Down 2-0, BYU reset to flip the momentum of the game. They pulled ahead 18-12 in the third set and the Cardinals were never quite able to respond. The Cougars took their first set 25-15 and carried that energy into the fourth with a 25-19 finish. Ball State fought hard in the fifth set, but ultimately fell 15-12, giving BYU the win. Â
The Cardinals will return Friday (Jan. 17)Â night for another opportunity against the Cougars. The match will start at 7 p.m. in Worthen Arena. Â Â
