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MVB Hosts No. 16 Ohio State Thursday
March 11, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
| No. 10 Ball State Men's Volleyball (16-3; 7-2 MIVA) vs No. 16 Ohio State (9-8; 4-5 MIVA) | |
| Match 20 vs. No. 8 Loyola Chicago | Thursday, March 12 at 6 p.m. ET Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets |
| Game Notes | Ball State | Ohio State |
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| Next Up - A Ball State Sports Link Documentary Series | Episode 1Â | Episode 2 |
This Week in Ball State Men's Volleyball: The Ball State men's volleyball program looks to even the regular season series against Ohio State as it welcomes No. 16 Buckeyes to Worthen Arena Thursday, March 12. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m., and live video coverage is available on ESPN+. Â
Last Serve: The Cardinals dropped a tightly contested MIVA matchup to No. 8 Loyola Chicago in straight sets (21–25, 21–25, 24–26). Despite the result, the Cardinals were highly efficient offensively, out-hitting Loyola .475 to .456. Patrick Rogers led Ball State with 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while Wil Basilio added nine kills on a .600 clip. Lucas Machado guided the offense with 29 assists and two service aces, and Daniel Günther made a defensive impact late with a team-high four blocks. Ball State led much of the third set before Loyola used a late 9–3 run to complete the sweep.
Two nights later, Ball State bounced back with a dramatic five-set victory over No. 14 Lewis (25–20, 27–29, 23–25, 25–20, 15–10). The match featured 44 ties and 19 lead changes before the Cardinals closed strong in the final set. Jacob Surette anchored the defense with a career-high 10 blocks as Ball State dominated the net with a season-best 17.5 total blocks. Rogers powered the offense with 26 kills, while Ryan Louis added 16 kills and three service aces. Machado distributed 49 assists, and Victor Scherer matched his season-high with 13 digs as the Cardinals rallied from a 2–1 deficit to secure their first five-set win of the season.
16-3 in the Iandolo Era: After taking the reigns of the program this past summer, head coach Mike Iandolo has marched the Cardinals to a 16-3 record to begin his first year in the position -- the team's best winning percentage at this point in a season since Iandolo's first year as an assistant coach in 2022, which led to a conference regular season and tournament championship, as well a No.2 national ranking and national semifinal appearance.Â
Unbeaten at Worthen: The Cardinals have begun the 2026 campaign with an unblemished 11-0 start inside its home Worthen Arena. Ball State last achieved this type of success at home at the start of its 2004 season, reaching 11-0 before eventually falling to Lewis in three sets. The team finished that year with a 16-1 record at home. Including last year's 3-1 Senior Day win over McKendree (March 29), Ball State holds a 12-0 streak on its home court.Â
Brian Hogg Thirty Under 30: Ball State men's volleyball assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Hogg has been named a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association 2026 AVCA Thirty Under 30 College Award, which recognizes rising coaches across collegiate volleyball who are making an impact in roles ranging from head coach to volunteer assistant and club director. The honor is awarded to coaches age 30 or younger as of Dec. 31, 2025, and highlights individuals who demonstrate strong leadership, a passion for teaching, and a commitment to helping student-athletes reach their potential while contributing to the growth of the sport at the collegiate level.
Rogers AVCA POTY Watchlist: Senior outside hitter Patrick Rogers has been named as one of 15 members honored in the first ever watchlist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association Player of the Year award. The inaugural watch list was compiled by the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Awards committee. Semifinalists for the award are to be announced in early April, and the final four will be named prior to the 2026 National Collegiate Championship May 9-11. The 2026 AVCA Player of the Year is to be revealed during the championship banquet.Â
Match History - Ohio State: At 218 total matches played, dating back to Ball State's inaugural season in 1964, The Cardinals lead its longest series in program history against the Buckeyes 112-105-1. Ohio State handed Ball State its first conference blemish of 2026 at the Covelli Center, topping Ball State in straight sets.Â
Scouting Ohio State: The Buckeyes are seventh in the MIVA, earning a 4-5 record in conference play while sitting just above .500 at 9-8 overall. Ohio State has lost its last four matches, most recently falling to No. 13 McKendree and league-leading No. 8 Lindenwood, both in straight sets.Â
As a team, Ohio State ranks second in the MIVA in kills (12.95/set), assists (12.07/set) and digs (9.11/set). The Buckeyes also rank third in blocks (2.35/set) and fourth in hitting percentage (.306). Its kill and assist averages both translate to top 10 rankings in the NCAA.
Shane Wetzel is placed third in the conference in kills, leading Ohio State's attacking with 3.64 per set on a .267 clip. Setter Daniel Henwood Rodriguez is ranked second in the MIVA, and sixth in the nation, with 10.73 per set.
On defense, Eliel Salva-Torres tops the MIVA with 1.27 blocks per set. His blocking average also ranks sixth in the nation. Drew Hudson leads the unit in digs, ranking third in the conference with an average of 2.22 per set.Â
AVCA Top 20 Poll: Ball State entered the 2026 season ranked #16 in the AVCA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Preseason Poll with a total of 144 points. Heading into this week, the Cardinals sit at No. 9 with 288 votes. The only other MIVA team ranked higher is No. 8 Loyola Chicago.
