Career Bests Lift MVB Over Missouri S&T

Friday, January 9

Muncie, IN

6 pm

Ball State University

1-0,0-0MIVA

Missouri S&T

0-1,0-0GLVC

Missouri S&T

Ball St.

Photo by: Brayden Goins / Ball State Athletics

January 09, 2026 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's volleyball program came out on top in the first of two weekend contests, seeing a 3-1 (26-28, 25-22, 25-24, 25-20) victory over Missouri S&T inside Worthen Arena Friday evening.

Opposite Ryan Louis had a career night versus the Miners (0-1, 0-0 GLVC), tallying 25 kills on an efficient .537 clip and grounding the Cardinals' (2-0,0-0 MIVA) defense with five blocks and nine digs. His total tonight marked the second 20-kill performance of his career.

Preseason MIVA Player of the Year Patrick Rogers completed 16 kills, including two service aces, along with seven digs. Wil Basilio earned his first career double-double, totaling 11 kills and 10 digs, accompanied by three total blocks. Basilio hit .409 on the evening.

Lucas Machado matched his career-high assist total, being rewarded with 54, a mark he first met against Purdue Fort Wayne last season (Feb. 6). Machado also finished with four kills and an ace.

Missouri S&T came out of the gate with intensity in the first set, getting up to a 5-1 lead before the Cardinals tied it 8-8, thanks to the barrage of kills from Louis and Rogers and Basilio. The two teams traded blows, making for eight lead changes, but 12 striking errors led to the Miners taking the first set.

Service and attack errors throughout sets two and four kept the match close. Ball State totaled 22 service and 16 attack errors throughout the evening, compared to the Miners who totaled 14 and 13.

The men's unit dominated the third set, leading by as much as 14 as Ball State scored nine straight off serves by Braydon Savitski-Lynde. Savitski-Lynde captured two of his team-leading three aces in that stretch.

The Cardinals are back at it tomorrow when they host the New Jersey Institute of Technology at 5 p.m. at Worthen. Tickets are available here. The match will be the first of the 2026 campaign to be broadcasted on ESPN+.