MVB Takes Down NKU in MIVA Quarterfinals

Saturday, April 18

Muncie, Ind.

7 pm

Ball State University

23-4,13-3MIVA

Northern Kentucky University

5-19,2-14MIVA

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Northern Ky.	18	24	15	0
Ball St.	25	26	25	3

Lucas Machado jumps for an attack attempt versus NKU 4/18/26

Photo by: Josh Brunette

April 18, 2026 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

MUNCIE, Ind. – The seventh-ranked Ball State men's volleyball team opened the 2026 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament Saturday evening, taking a straight-set win (25-18, 26-24, 25-15) over Northern Kentucky in the quarterfinals.

The Cardinals (23-4, 13-3 MIVA) claim their third sweep over the Norse (5-19, 2-14 MIVA) in 2026 to advance to the semifinal round, and 2026 MIVA Coach of the Year Mike Iandolo captured his first postseason win at the helm of the program.

Ball State's offense was firing away inside Worthen Arena, hitting .552 as a squad, the unit's second-highest percentage this season. The team's best was .563 during a sweep at Maryland Eastern Shore (Jan. 30). The Setter duo of Lucas Machado and Griffin Satterfield guided the Cardinals' efficient night, serving 23 and 13 assists, respectively.

The Cardinals set the tone early in the opening frame with back-to-back service aces from Patrick Rogers. The MIVA Player of the Year started a run that saw Ball State score seven of the frame's first eight points. From there, the red and white cruised to a comfortable 25-18 win.

Rogers totaled a season-high, and match-best, three aces in the contest. He also led both sides with 12 kills, including five in set one alone on seven attempts. Rogers finished the contest with a .550 clip. Wil Basilio and Ryan Louis each added six kills in the match while Jacob Surette, Daniel Günther and Marty Canvan contributed four.

NKU brought a competitive fight to the second frame, forcing the match's only tied scores (12) and lead changes (two). While the Norse kept it even, Ball Sate's defense kept them alive, tallying 6.0 of the team's 8.5 total blocks in set two. Machado had three as Rogers, Surette, and Basilio had a pair each. Louis also contributed one in the frame. With the set tied at 24, a NKU attack error set up a Rogers kill to take a two-set advantage.

Machado led the match with four total blocks, followed by Surette and Basilio who had three. Basilio also had five digs, the second-highest total of the contest behind libero Victor Scherer's six.

The third set was a showcase of Ball State's depth, as the Cardinals cruised to a 25-15 finish to complete the sweep. Marty Canavan provided a major spark late, tallying all four of his kills on just five swings. Will Patterson entered the match in the third, matching Rogers with three kills along with a block to help seal the win.

The Cardinals turn their attention to April 22 as they host their semifinal matchup versus No. 13 McKendree. Streaming will be available on ESPN+ and the start time is to be announced.