Ball State University Athletics
Photo by: Bobby Ellis (Ball State Creative Services)
Five Cardinals Earn AVCA All-American Honors
May 06, 2026 | Men's Volleyball
MUNCIE, Ind. – With a NCAA Semifinal matchup versus UC Irvine on the horizon, five Cardinals have earned American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America honors, announced by the committee Wednesday afternoon.
Highlighting the national honors is senior outside Patrick Rogers who was named first team. Junior setter Lucas Machado was named to the second team, while Ryan Louis, Wil Basilio and Braydon Savitski-Lynde were selected as honorable mentions.
Rogers earns his first-career first team honor after putting together a phenomenal senior campaign in 2026. A three-time MIVA Offensive Player of the Week in this year, the New jersey native earned the league's player of the year award as well as first team All-MIVA at the end of the regular season. Rogers continued his dominance into the postseason, being declared MIVA Tournament MVP after leading the Cardinals to three straight sweeps to take the MIVA Tournament Championship. Earlier this week (May 5), Rogers was named as one of four finalists for the AVCA's 2026 Men's National Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Machado has directed Ball State's offense to a program-record .385 hitting percentage in 2026, totaling a career-best 986 assists and raising his career total to 2,509 to place him eighth in the program's record book. He needs 97 to move up to No. 7, which is occupied by Quinn Isaacson (2018-2022) who had 2,606. His 9.94 assists per set puts him fourth in the MIVA and 11th in the Nation. The Brazil native earned both MIVA Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 3) and AVCA Player of the Week (Feb. 17) this season as well as being named MIVA All-Tournament. Machado was previously an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American at the end of his freshman season in 2024.
Louis sees his first All-American honor with an honorable mention as he closes his sophomore season. An All-MIVA recipient in 2026, being named to the second team after contributing greatly to the Cardinals' offensive and defensive fronts, His 82.0 total blocks lead Ball State this season, while his 325 kills put him second on the Cardinals. The Arizona native ranks fifth in the MIVA in kills (3.25) and points (4.05) per set, sixth in hitting percentage (.328) and sits eighth in blocks (0.82). The sophomore had 17 matches with double-digit kills, including a career-high 25 versus Missouri S&T (Jan. 9).
Savitski-Lynde has been a standout defensive presence in 2026, sitting fifth in the conference in blocks per set (0.86), totaling 67.0. He had five matches this season with five or more blocks, including a season-best six versus Maryland Eastern Shore (Jan. 30). Savitski-Lynde is also the fourth Cardinal this season to surpass 100 kills, totaling 124 (1.59 per set).
Basilio has struck down 200 kills (2.06 per set) on an average .308 clip this season, more than doubling his season total at the end of his freshman season last year (83). The sophomore outside posted his first career double-double in 2026, recording 11 kills with 10 digs versus Missouri S&T (Jan. 9). Basilio aided the defensive front versus Pepperdine during this year's NCAA Regional Final, posting a career-high six blocks, which includes a part in the clutch triple block that sparked a three-point Ball State run to take the deciding fifth set.
Highlighting the national honors is senior outside Patrick Rogers who was named first team. Junior setter Lucas Machado was named to the second team, while Ryan Louis, Wil Basilio and Braydon Savitski-Lynde were selected as honorable mentions.
Rogers earns his first-career first team honor after putting together a phenomenal senior campaign in 2026. A three-time MIVA Offensive Player of the Week in this year, the New jersey native earned the league's player of the year award as well as first team All-MIVA at the end of the regular season. Rogers continued his dominance into the postseason, being declared MIVA Tournament MVP after leading the Cardinals to three straight sweeps to take the MIVA Tournament Championship. Earlier this week (May 5), Rogers was named as one of four finalists for the AVCA's 2026 Men's National Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Machado has directed Ball State's offense to a program-record .385 hitting percentage in 2026, totaling a career-best 986 assists and raising his career total to 2,509 to place him eighth in the program's record book. He needs 97 to move up to No. 7, which is occupied by Quinn Isaacson (2018-2022) who had 2,606. His 9.94 assists per set puts him fourth in the MIVA and 11th in the Nation. The Brazil native earned both MIVA Defensive Player of the Week (Feb. 3) and AVCA Player of the Week (Feb. 17) this season as well as being named MIVA All-Tournament. Machado was previously an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American at the end of his freshman season in 2024.
Louis sees his first All-American honor with an honorable mention as he closes his sophomore season. An All-MIVA recipient in 2026, being named to the second team after contributing greatly to the Cardinals' offensive and defensive fronts, His 82.0 total blocks lead Ball State this season, while his 325 kills put him second on the Cardinals. The Arizona native ranks fifth in the MIVA in kills (3.25) and points (4.05) per set, sixth in hitting percentage (.328) and sits eighth in blocks (0.82). The sophomore had 17 matches with double-digit kills, including a career-high 25 versus Missouri S&T (Jan. 9).
Savitski-Lynde has been a standout defensive presence in 2026, sitting fifth in the conference in blocks per set (0.86), totaling 67.0. He had five matches this season with five or more blocks, including a season-best six versus Maryland Eastern Shore (Jan. 30). Savitski-Lynde is also the fourth Cardinal this season to surpass 100 kills, totaling 124 (1.59 per set).
Basilio has struck down 200 kills (2.06 per set) on an average .308 clip this season, more than doubling his season total at the end of his freshman season last year (83). The sophomore outside posted his first career double-double in 2026, recording 11 kills with 10 digs versus Missouri S&T (Jan. 9). Basilio aided the defensive front versus Pepperdine during this year's NCAA Regional Final, posting a career-high six blocks, which includes a part in the clutch triple block that sparked a three-point Ball State run to take the deciding fifth set.
Players Mentioned
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