The Ball State University men's volleyball team has 23 matches left this season, but coach Joel Walton is already thinking about the postseason.
The Cardinals (3-4) will play their conference-opener against Lewis University (7-0) Friday.
"It's a league match at home, and you have to win those matches," Walton said. "Our guys have to get fired up, and look at it as to this point the biggest matchup we play this year."
In the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, the team with the best conference record at the end of the season hosts the semifinals and finals of the conference tournament. Also, the top four seeds host quarterfinal games.
"The things that you have on the line when you are playing at home in the league is you are trying to win enough matches so you can host a quarterfinal matchup at home," Walton said.
Last season, teams were 5-1 in the postseason when playing at home.
The last time a MIVA team won a quarterfinal match on the road was in 2004, and since 2000 the feat has been accomplished twice.
Walton said Ball State was good enough to be a No. 1 seed because of its attackers Nick Meyer, Todd Chamberlian, Matt McCarthy and Ryan Clarke.
"We have four attackers who are good enough to compete against anyone in our league," Walton said. "We just have to make sure that we keep improving and continue to play good on both sides of the ball. To do that there is not really one guy we have to lean on; we need every guy to do their part."
Ball State enters the match on a two-game winning streak after defeating the Milwaukee School of Engineering Friday and Juniata College Saturday.
Against Juniata, the Cardinals had a season-low eight service errors and a season-high 17.7 kills per game.
"If we serve a high percentage, and pass well, we can make it easier to run our offense," McCarthy said.
The Cardinals have not beaten a Division I team this season.
Dating back to last season, the team has lost its last five matches against Division I schools and has won four of its last 19 games against Division I teams.
McCarthy said the team's non-conference schedule has helped Ball State prepare for MIVA play.
"We have played great competition and that's going to help us [Friday]," McCarthy said.
Lewis is one of three teams in the MIVA with an undefeated record and is tied with Ohio State University for the most overall wins in the conference.
Last season Lewis finished in sixth place with a 3-9 conference record and didn't participate in the MIVA postseason tournament.
"Last year, [Lewis] had a good freshman class," Walton said. "Those kids now have a year of experience after kind of getting their heads bashed in as they were learning the ropes."
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