The men's volleyball team will have one more home game before almost a month of road games.
The Cardinals play IPFW Friday and have an exhibition game against Ball State volleyball alumni on Saturday.
IPFW comes to Muncie Friday a game up on Ball State (9-4, 4-3) in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The Mastadons (6-4, 3-2) are coming off a loss to Ohio State Tuesday.
Head coach Joel Walton called IPFW a very good team with good starters at all six positions. Because of that, Walton said he wants his team to play tenacious defense that will transition to good offense.
"When we've been at our best the last two years, we've done a great job digging balls and blocking balls," Walton said. "We've then turned those into good offensive swings that turned into kills."
Walton said a main focus in practice this week for the team was consistency. He wants the Cardinals to play strong from the first game to the end of the match and avoid errors.
"We haven't practiced very well this week," Walton said. "We have two more days of practice and one of watching tape on IPFW. We have a great deal to accomplish to be ready to play."
Saturday Ball State plays its annual alumni match against former players. It's an exhibition game that Walton hopes will serve as inspiration for the rest of the season.
"It's a feel good type of event," Walton said. "Alumni come and say motivational things. They'll give some words of wisdom and tell motivational stories."
Seven alumni will play in the game and others will come back for the luncheon Saturday. Those playing are: Darrel Morten, 1985 graduate, Adam Havice, 1998, Mark Lau, 2000, Brian Winchester, 2001, Paul Fasshauer, 2002, Juan Carlos Lopez, 2002, Doug Market, 2002.
The alumni team will be coached by assistant coach Kevin Furnish, who played for the Cardinals before he graduated in 1991. Furnish will also play.
"It's a time for us to acknowledge the tremendous amount of history that's part of Ball State in the volleyball program," Walton said. "It's a chance for us to recognize our roots and see how far we've come."
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