It has been two weeks of practice for the No. 15 Ball State University men's volleyball team without a match.
That was more than enough time for outside attacker Todd Chamberlain.
After not playing a match last weekend for the first time this season, Ball State will play IPFW at 7 p.m. in Fort Wayne.
"We've gotten into a pretty rhythm at practice, but I think all of us are looking forward to the match," Chamberlain said.
This will be the Cardinals' (14-8, 5-4 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) first match since sweeping last-place Quincy University on March 28 at Worthen Arena.
Chamberlain said the break came at a good time for the team after playing 11 matches in March - the most matches this season it has played in a month. The outside attacker also said he does not think the long break will have a negative effect on the team's rhythm.
"It's not that bad," he said. "It's a nice break towards the end of the semester. We got some practices in and figured out some things."
The break also was an opportunity for players with injuries to recover, coach Joel Walton said.
Walton said starting middle attacker Andy Nelson was able to fully heal from a back injury. In his first season at the Division I level after transferring from the University of Minnesota, Nelson is third in the MIVA with 89 blocks.
In addition, middle attacker Matt McCarthy practiced with the team Wednesday for the first time since suffering a stress fracture in his back. McCarthy, a preseason all-conference selection, has played in four matches this season and has not played since coming off the bench in the fourth game of a five-game loss to No. 11 Ohio State University on March 11.
Walton said McCarthy's playing status will be a game-time decision. He also said the team remains unsure about the health of McCarthy's back.
"What we are not sure of for him is if he's goes every day can his body sustain that," Walton said. "Is he going to be a practice one day and off two? We are just trying to figure out what the rhythm will be that will allow him to be active and participate."
This will be the Cardinals' final conference regular season match and their second match against the Mastodons this season. In its previous match, Ball State swept IPFW at Worthen Arena.
Ball State enters this match in third place and can clinch the No. 3 seed in the MIVA Tournament with a win. The No. 3 seed would also secure a home match in the conference quarterfinals on April 24 most likely against Quincy (17-31, 0-9 MIVA).
"We want the three," Chamberlain said. "That's the matchup we really want to play."
IPFW (12-11, 3-4 MIVA) is in fourth place in the conference and lost to Ohio State on Friday, which resulted in the Buckeyes clinching the MIVA regular season title.
If Ball State loses tonight's match it can still clinch the No. 3 seed, but it would need to rely on tiebreakers or need IPFW to lose another match.
"I don't want to get into that scenarios where we have to do the what-ifs. We want to go to Fort Wayne this weekend, play a good match and take care of business."
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