Ball State’s men’s volleyball team came into its match Friday on its heels and in a downward spiral. That fall continued as Ball State was swept 3-0 (20-25, 23-25, 17-25) by defending Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association conference champion No. 12 Lewis.
Instead of putting their head down and going into a place where they have not won since 2010, the Cardinals backed into their match with the red-hot Flyers.
Lewis currently sits atop the MIVA again, now with a perfect 6-0 conference record, and extended their winning streak to nine. The Flyers got the Cardinals off-balance due in large part to their play, but also with the dimensions of their gymnasium and its low hanging lights that interfered with play several times.
Lewis held a five to six point advantage over Ball State the entire first set, excluding a few runs that to within three in the middle of the set.
The second set saw the Cardinals play with a much more competitive spirit, and jumped out to a 3-0 lead. The Flyers eventually closed out the set when they went on a four-point run to bring the game to 24-20, and scored on their fourth match point.
That dropped set seemed to break the Cardinals’ backs and deflate them. The third set started as a side out battle, but the Flyers started to stretch their lead, and finished comfortably.
Lewis’ junior middle blocker Yiwei Zhou was especially motivated for the match. Zhou’s mother was in attendance, a common occurrence for most players, but Zhou’s mother travelled all the way from China for her first time ever in the United States.
The junior’s energy seemed to be contagious as Lewis looked like it was clicking on all cylinders against a down-trotted Ball State team. Lewis out-hit Ball State a staggering .299 to .099.
The weekend doesn’t get any easier for the Cardinals either. Ball State travels up to Chicago to take on Loyola Saturday, a place the team has not won at since 1999.
