After two long weeks on the road, the Ball State Men's Volleyball returned home to face off against the Grand Canyon Antelopes, who ultimately came away with a 3-2 victory over the Cardinals.
The loss marks the fourth in five matches for Ball State.
"We need more consistent play," head coach Joel Walton said. "We've shown we can play well at times, but we struggle playing throughout the course of long matches."
In the first set, both teams played well offensively. Ball State's .296 attack percentage trailed Grand Canyon's .379. The Antelopes carried their offensive momentum to win the first set 26-24.
In the second set, the match changed as both teams stepped up on the defensive end. Ball State regained the match lead with two set victories (26-24, 25-21) in the second and third.
The momentum shifted in the fourth set, as Grand Canyon forced a fifth set with a 25-19 victory.
"I think we needed a little more energy, we were getting dead," freshman Matt Walsh said. "I just think we need to stay focused and stop getting down on ourselves when we make a mistake."
Following its defeat in the fourth set, Ball State failed to respond, dropping the final set of the night 15-10.
Offense was a struggle for the Cardinals after the first set, finishing the match with a .136 attack percentage.
Freshman Matt Walsh was one of two Cardinals with double-digit kills, showcasing 10. He held a .529 attack percentage and had seven block assists.
"We didn't pass well all night long. We had serving runs put on us in every game," Walton said. "Early on we were able to get our middles the ball because we did pass well, but later in the match we weren't very effective."
Ball State will have another chance to defeat Grand Canyon. The Cardinals will host the Antelopes at 7:30 p.m. on March 14.
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