Players on the Ball State University men's volleyball team said they are ready for conference play, regardless of when they play their conference opener.
The Cardinals will start their Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association season with road matches against Quincy University at 8 p.m. and No. 15 Loyola University Saturday. This is the Cardinals' earliest start to the conference season since 2000.
"I don't have a problem with it," senior libero Ian Peckler said. "It's just good to get the season started off on the right foot and winning two games in our conference."
Last season, Ball State opened its MIVA season Feb. 2 and in the 2006 season the team started conference play Feb. 3.
Ball State coach Joel Walton said he would have preferred starting the conference season in February, but he was prevented from doing that because of scheduling non-conference opponents.
During the last three seasons, Ball State has played non-conference matches against four Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association schools. Walton said he usually tries to schedule these matches during January, but this season he had to split them up and the team will play one team from the EIVA each month.
Walton said the early start to the conference play hasn't changed his team's mindset.
"Our preparation and mindset is what it has always been," he said. "We look at the what matches we play that weekend, we analyze our opponents and we breakdown the things we need to work on."
In addition to conference play starting earlier, the Cardinals had less practice time this week because of traveling delays in the team's flight from Hawaii. The Cardinals left Hawaii on Tuesday after finishing the Outrigger Invitation on Saturday and held practice the last two days.
Walton said he doesn't think the decrease in practice time this week will hurt the Cardinals.
"It's really up to the guys," he said. "They can let that become an excuse or they can take it upon themselves to show up and play with a lot of energy this weekend."
The Cardinals enter the MIVA season 0-3, after losing three matches to nationally ranked teams in their tournament last week. Quincy and Loyola will play their season openers against Ball State.
Loyola coach Shane Davis said he would have preferred to play some non-conference matches before opening the MIVA. He said he feels Ball State has an advantage in their conference match because of the Cardinals' matches in Hawaii.
"We've been playing against our practice teams and their last three matches were to nationally ranked teams," Davis said. "We have a lot of new guys...and there will probably be some ups and downs in the match for us."
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