As the Ball State men’s volleyball team moved into the postseason, they traveled to Romeoville, Illinois to take on number No. 4 Lewis University in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) quarterfinals.
Ball State came up just short, losing 3-2 to the Lewis Flyers (20-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-20, 11-15).
The Flyers came out firing in the opening set, and took a commanding 6-3 lead in the win-or-go-home game. Ball State had their backs against the wall late in the set, and despite forging a potential comeback, they ultimately fell in set one.
“This was our first time being on the road for the playoffs in four years”, Ball State head coach Donan Cruz said. “We try to treat it like a routine road trip.”
Cruz also touched on the fact that veteran leadership on the team helps in games like this, led by seniors Raje Alleyne and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva.
Down 1-0, Ball State responded in a big way. The Cardinals were led by their star trio in the set, that being Alleyne, Ndavazocheva and junior Patrick Rogers. The Cardinals’ stars combined for ten kills in the set and propelled Ball State back into it. Rogers talked about the pressure in playing in a game like this, and how the team manages that pressure.
“There is pressure, but you know we practice it so much”, Rogers said. “We had so many big games this season like BYU and Ohio State, so we are always prepared for it.”
As Ball State looked to keep up the momentum from the second set, Lewis flew in to dismantle that momentum. Although Ball State kept it close in the early portion of the set, the Flyers strung together seven consecutive points to take a comfortable lead in the set, eventually winning it.
With the season on the line, the Cardinals were able to counter the Flyers winning push and dominate the fourth set. Ball State was led by the likes of sophomore Lucas Machado, who tallied one kill along with fifteen assists in the set. Machado had not been getting his usual playing time late in the season, but the young setter stepped up in the Cardinals’ biggest game of the season.
With the match knotted up at 2-2, Ball State entered an area of games where they had struggled all season. They posted a losing record in five-set matches before this game, and it has been a vocal point for Cruz all season.
Despite that, Ball State came out strong in the fifth set. It was a tied 7-7, and it looked like it would be a back-and-forth fifth set to see who advanced to the conference semifinals. But the Flyers scored four straight points to gain all the momentum, thanks to two huge blocks. Lewis controlled the rest of the set and eliminated Ball State from postseason contention.
“[The seniors] were such a big help to me not just as an athlete but as a person, so it sucks to see them go”, Rogers said. “Me and the other juniors, sophomores and freshmen have to look at the bright side that we have another year and learn from this loss.”
Even though the tournament loss and the loss of seniors stings for Cruz, he is optimistic about what the team has for next season.
“As a coach, I have got to be grateful for their departure and everything that they’ve done for the program, but also look ahead to the future and that begins immediately,” he said..
Contact Kyle Stout via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or via X @kylestoutdailyn.
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