Cardinals Extend Win Streak to Four With a Victory Over the Hawks

Friday, January 30

Fairfax, Va.

6 pm

Ball State University

7-1,0-0MIVA

Maryland Eastern Shore

5-1,0-0NEC

UMES

Ball St.

Cardinals Extend Win Streak to Four With a Victory Over the Hawks

January 30, 2026 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

FAIRFAX, Va. – The Ball State men's volleyball program ended the first of two road matches in Fairfax, Va. with a straight-set win (25-16, 25-19, 25-15) over Maryland Eastern Shore, giving the program its first loss in its inaugural season. The men's team extends its win streak to four and advances to a 7-1 mark to start the 2026 season.

The Cardinals' (7-1, 0-0 MIVA) defense made the difference against the Hawks (5-1, 0-0 NEC), totaling eight blocks and 24 digs, compared to UMES who tallied just two blocks and 11 digs. Braydon Savitski-Lynde was a menace at the net, leading the match with a season-best six blocks with five digs. Victor Scherer and Griffin Satterfield matched Savitski-Lynde with five digs each to lead both teams.

Ryan Louis earned his sixth match with double-digit kills, scoring 10 while hitting .467. Patrick Rogers and Wil Basilio added nine and eight kills, respectively. Basilio completed two service aces to bring his season total to seven, while Rogers had two blocks. Both men also contributed four digs to the Cardinals' defensive effort.

Lucas Machado was huge in setting up his teammates, putting up 31 assists while recording three blocks with three kills.

The Cardinals limited the Hawks to a .148 hitting percentage in the opening set on its way to a commanding 25-16 victory in the first. Savitski-Lynde scored two of the final four consecutive points for Ball State to go up 1-0.

In the second set, UMES saw a 10-9 advantage but a three-point run by the Cardinals gave Ball State the momentum they needed to retake command. The Hawks struggled to fight back, seeing 10 errors in set two alone. UMES recorded 28 total errors (14 attack and 14 serving), compared to Ball State who had half as many (five attack and nine serving).

The third set saw Louis capture five of his 10 total kills to charge the Cardinals to a sweep. Six digs and three total team blocks, along with another 10 errors, stunned UMES to a .136 clip. Jason Harris scored back-to-back kills for Ball State to bring the team to match point, and the contest was put to a close with a UMES service error.

The Cardinals look to keep its winning streak alive as the team stays in Fairfax, Va. to battle George Mason at 5 p.m. ET. The match will be available on ESPN+.