MIVA Standings
Ohio State 4-0
IPFW 3-0
Lewis 2-0
Loyola (Ill.) 1-0
Ball State 2-1
Quincy 1-3
Lindenwood 1-3
Grand Canyon 0-2
McKendree 0-5
After suffering two home losses last week, the Ball State men's volleyball team will face its toughest challenge of the season in facing the nation's top two teams.
Ball State will take on No. 2 Lewis on Thursday, and then the No. 1 Loyola Ramblers on the road Saturday.
In order for the Cardinals to pull an upset, head coach Joel Walton is focusing on the team's ability to finish.
"Well some of the finishing is a learned skill, and some of that is difficult right now because we're working with a young group," Walton said.
In last weekend's losses, Ball State struggled to hold the match lead against IPFW in a 3-2 loss. Against George Mason, Ball State held the lead at different times but fell 3-0.
The Cardinals will look to return to the level that led them to a 7-1 start to the season.
A family rivalry will highlight Ball State's match against Lewis, as freshman Matt Walsh will be facing off against his brother, Bobby Walsh.
Defense will be a key factor, as both dominate blocking statistics in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
Matt Walsh leads the MIVA in total blocks with 59 and blocks per set with 1.79, while Bobby Walsh is second in blocks with 49 and third in blocks per set at 1.44.
"I'm sure he's getting a lot of stuff from my family and friends," Matt Walsh said. "I sent out a picture on snapchat of our stats and all of his friends screenshot it and sent it to him, so its fun."
Lewis and Loyola both thrive on offense as well as defense, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 in the MIVA in kills per set and attack percentage.
Walsh and company will look to slow down Cody Caldwell and Thomas Jaeschke, who lead the Ramblers with 4.04 and 3.81 kills per set averages, respectively.
Loyola was the top-ranked team coming into the season and has proved its worth so far.
The Ramblers have only played one conference match, but are 8-0 with only four set losses combined.
Looking forward, momentum will be important for the Cardinals as they dive further into league play.
"We need to work on getting past the play, and work on our serving more; I think that's what kills our momentum," Walsh said.
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