Ball State men’s volleyball team started out its season 8-0 and was the nation’s last unbeaten team. Now the Cardinals have lost three straight matches, all in conference play, and are looking for their first win since Feb. 9.
Coming off a controversial loss to No. 6 Ohio State, in which a disputable call gave the Buckeyes match point in the fourth set, Ball State is still looking for its first marquee win of the season.
The Cardinals will have two chances this weekend when they take on No. 12 Lewis, which won the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association conference tournament last season, and Loyola-Chicago, which has been ranked this season and received seven points in this week’s coaches’ poll.
Even though Ball State dropped its match to Ohio State 3-1, it was closer than the score depicted and Ball State had copious chances to walk out a winner. Coach Joel Walton hopes his team will take the positives from the match against the highest ranked opponent his team has face so far and apply them this weekend.
“I saw a great deal of character out of our players, I was pleased with the way they competed and how they stayed focused on the task at hand,” Walton said. “I saw some good signs.”
Walton said that one of those signs was the execution of the game plan his players were given, something that will be imperative this weekend as well.
Both Lewis and Loyola have players in the MIVA’s top five aces per set. Loyola’s Joseph Smalzer is second at .56 aces per set and Lewis’ Jay Petty is fourth at .34. Handling serves and getting into system has hampered Ball State in each of its losses, so Walton has stressed the importance of good passing this week in practice.
“We’re going to see two of our conference’s two best servers this weekend,” Walton said. “A focus for the weekend is having our passers ready for good, aggressive serves.”
Who Ball State will be passing to is still a question. Junior Graham McIlvaine started the year at setter, but senior Dan Wichmann took over in the team’s fifth game against Barton.
Against Ohio State, McIlvaine took the reigns Ball State’s offense back, and Walton doesn’t think that will change for this weekend.
“I can’t say 100 percent for sure, but I would expect our personnel package to be similar to what we played against Ohio State,” Walton said.
Travelling to Illinois for the weekend will be a sort of homecoming for Ball State, as nine of the 17 players on the roster are from the state.
“The families of our players do a great job of following us wherever we go, but what this weekend is going to lend itself to it giving a chance for our players friends to see them play,” Walton said. “I hope that motivates our guys to play well in front of the people that care about them.”
These road trips in the past have not been kind to Ball State as the team has not won at Lewis since 2010 and have not won at Loyola since 1999.
But Loyola has transitioned to a new arena, giving Ball State a more level playing field.
“Loyola’s gymnasium was a place unlike any other we played in,” Walton said. “It has ceiling interference, it had heat and noise. Alumni Gym was always a place we were uncomfortable in. Now in their new place, it’s a fairer venue to go into and compete in.”
Whether it be looking for their first win in a few weeks, beating the defending conference champions or getting a win for the first time in years in Illinois, this weekend has a chance to get back on track for the Cardinals.
“There are really unique opportunities presented to us this weekend, as well as two possible conference wins,” Walton said. “It’s a weekend with opportunities and a chance to go prove some things.”
