Garchet becomes leader in first season as starting setter

Approximately 274 miles inland of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil sits the city of Belo Horizonte, the sixth largest city in the country.

It is the homeland of Ball State men's volleyball setter Hiago Garchet. A junior, Garchet has come a long way to get to Muncie.

"I came from Brazil, and I haven't played as much as I would have wanted to, and it's just nice right now," Garchet said.

From a young age, Garchet played on club teams in Brazil. He became the starting setter for the Brazilian state of Minas Gerias, leading the team to two second-place finishes along with a third-place finish in Brazil's national championship.

By the age of 18, Garchet had the chance to play professionally in Brazil.

"Those types of experiences are a real advantage for him, because he's in situations that are big and meaningful matches," head coach Joel Walton said. "He's had players from all over his state, the best of the best, so he was able to run an offense with those guys."

Garchet's father encouraged him to come to the United States to pursue a volleyball career. Originally, the plans for Garchet didn't lead him to Ball State.

During his freshman year, Garchet attended Park University in Missouri, as Ball State didn't have the necessary scholarship funding to acquire him.

However, he never stopped wanting to play at Ball State and after Walton arranged a meeting with him through Park University, Garchet was ready to come to Muncie.

After a year coming off the bench and shadowing Graham McIlvaine, Garchet is proving his worth as Ball State's starting setter. He has played in all 16 sets this season on his way to 168 assists, ranking fourth in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association with a 10.5 assists-per-set ratio.

The Cardinals have also risen to No. 14 in the country after a 4-0 start to begin the year.

Garchet is simply thankful for his opportunities and looks forward to leading Ball State further into the thick of its season.

"It's just nice to get this opportunity to play, and I'm ready for it," Garchet said. "We're going to continue winning games and playing better and better, [I'm] really happy to be playing for Ball State."

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