CHIRP: Men's volleyball players out to prove Ball State in the MIVA
February 2, 2012It hasn't been much of a typical season in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
It hasn't been much of a typical season in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
Sports editor Andrew Mishler and staff reporter Steven Ward discuss the state of the men's volleyball team after they wrapped up their January schedule.
If Ball State needed a warm-up before the start of conference play, it came in the form of Limestone and Pfeiffer this weekend.
The Ball State men's volleyball picked up two wins this weekend with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-23) sweep over Pfeiffer on Saturday following its 3-1 defeat of Limestone on Saturday.
Joel Walton isn't focused on just expanding his own volleyball program; he wants the entire collegiate sport of men's volleyball to grow.
Arkansas recently announced the hiring of Anders Nelson, a 2011 Ball State graduate and a star player for the men's volleyball team from 2009-11, to be an assistant coach for the school's women's volleyball team.
With a 3-0 sweep of St. Francis on Saturday night, the Ball State men's volleyball team picked up two wins in its three-match week to stand with a 3-2 record.
As both teams played through a match marred by mistakes and errors, Ball State managed to come out on the fortunate end of the turmoil.
If there was one word used to describe the performance of George Mason outside hitter Mark Jones Friday against Ball State, it would be dominant.
Ball State is currently in a stretch where it faces four out of five Mid-American Conference games on the road.
Ball State faces a rematch with a George Mason team at home tonight at 7:30 that will likely be missing its star outside attacker, junior Mark Jones. The match comes a day before Ball State's rematch with St. Francis on Saturday, also at 7:30 p.m.
Coach Kelly Packard opted to go with a bigger lineup against Toledo, but the strategy failed considerably as Ball State dropped its second consecutive Mid-American Conference road game of the season, 63-48, Thursday night.
Shane Witmer lined up at the net at the start of Ball State's second set as he awaited the incoming serve.
Shane Witmer lined up at the net at the start of Ball State's second set as he awaited the incoming serve.
Ball State has a team full of new faces this year, but that doesn't mean they're playing much differently than they did last season.
In some way for each player on the Ball State men's volleyball team, the upcoming season represents a bounty of opportunities.
If Ball State needed any more reasons to crave a win over Quincy, it came last week when both teams were tied for fourth in the Preseason Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Coaches Poll.
An already thin amount of depth at middle attacker for Ball State has now become even thinner.
The Ball State men's volleyball team's season will kick off today with its annual Alumni match at 7:30 p.m. inside Worthen Arena.
