One thing coach Joel Walton said he does not have to worry about entering a rematch against Loyola-Chicago University is volleyballs hitting an arena's ceiling.
After being swept in road match against the Ramblers earlier in the season, the Ball State University men's volleyball team will play Loyola at 7:30 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
Walton said playing at home is a big advantage for the Cardinals because Loyola's arena has a lower ceiling and dim lighting compared to Worthen Arena.
"I'm glad to be playing in a gymnasium where a ceiling is not going to come into play," Walton said. "We have a lot different environment here and one that our team is more comfortable in."
A match against Loyola earlier this season was the one time Ball State has not had a player finish with at least 10 kills. Also, Ball State had a season-low -.037 attack percentage in the third game.
Since that match the Cardinals have won eight of their last 10 matches, including a 5-1 home record, and have not lost another match in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
Outside attacker Patrick Durbin said the team is happy to play Loyola on a court that gives the Cardinals an advantage.
"That gym is a cracker box and a half," outside attacker Patrick Durbin said. "This is awesome. I always love Worthen Arena and the fact we play so well here."
Since the 2006 season the Cardinals are 28-7 at Worthen Arena, but one of the losses came to the Ramblers in 2007.
Walton said when playing at Worthen Arena his team has an advantage against opponents because of the arena's additional space outside the court.
"You have just great big openings behind where they are playing and that affects them," he said.
In addition, Loyola coach Shane Davis said earlier this season one of the biggest difficulties of playing at Worthen Arena was dealing with the arena's wind currents.
Walton said he has never noticed any wind currents in the arena. If there were strong wind currents teams would be more likely to win on one side of the court, which has not been the case this year, he said.
Ball State enters this match second in the MIVA and half a match behind first-place Ohio State University. Loyola is in third place.
Walton said winning every conference home match will be critical to finishing as the regular season champions.
"We are in the conference race where we have to protect or home matches. We have to win those," Walton said. "The team that is able in our conference and win on the road is going to be the championship team this year."
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