The No. 8 Ball State men’s volleyball team closed out the regular season over the weekend, losing both of its matches and finishing with the No. 3 spot in the upcoming Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association tournament.
Finishing third ensured Ball State will host its quarterfinal matchup against McKendree.
On April 8, No. 13 Lewis avenged an earlier defeat with a 25-22, 25-19, 25-13 victory over Ball State. The Cardinals returned the following night to take on the No. 12 Loyola Ramblers and lost in four sets. While Ball State tied with Loyola in wins and set victories, the Cardinals fell in total points, which led to the No. 3 seed.
“Things just did not go our way this weekend,” head coach Joel Walton said.
Ball State was hit with injuries over the weekend that affected the team’s performance.
During the match against Lewis, junior outside attacker Brendan Surane suffered a third degree ankle sprain and would not return for the remainder of the weekend. Surane was sidelined on crutches during the Loyola match.
He still led the Cardinals in kills with 10 against the Flyers despite his early exit.
Walton said missing Surane was significant, and the team definitely felt his absence against Loyola.
“He’s been our most consistent offensive weapon, especially this last month of the season,” Walton said. “Even in our Lewis match, he was the one person that was generating offense. So losing him in the second set, all of a sudden that game gets away from us.”
Even before Surane was injured, senior outside attacker Jack Lesure was hit in the face with a spike and suffered a mild concussion. He did not play in either match over the weekend.
Despite dealing with players missing time, the Cardinals kept the matches close. Four sets were decided by fewer than five points, and two points decided three of the four sets against Loyola.
“We very well could have potentially won the match in three sets with a few more kills or a few more points here or there,” Walton said. “Missing Surane was significant.”
Ball State will take on No. 6 seed McKendree April 16 at Worthen Arena.
