The 2022 season was one for the history books for Ball State men's volleyball (20-3, 12-2 MIVA). Following a first outright Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular-season championship since 1997, five members of the program have been awarded MIVA honors.
It has been an eventful 10 months for Ball State Men’s Volleyball (20-3, 12-2 MIVA) and head coach Donan Cruz, but Cruz can’t help but focus on one thing: enjoying the moment with the program. From Cruz being named head coach of the Cardinals June 16 to the Cardinals defeating then No. 1 Hawaii (19-5, 4-3 BWC) twice in three days to, most recently, winning the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular season championship after defeating Purdue Fort Wayne (15-12, 6-8 MIVA) April 9, it's all happened in less than a year.
Heading into a matchup against Loyola Chicago (17-7, 11-2 MIVA), men’s volleyball (19-3, 11-2 MIVA) had only dropped two matches in the 2022 season, one of which to the Ramblers.
It was senior night for Ball State men’s volleyball (19-2, 11-1 MIVA) against Lewis University (13-11, 5-7 MIVA) April 2 as seven Cardinals took to Worthen Arena for possibly the final time.
The Cardinals swept the Bearcats by scores of 25-17, 27-25 and 25-20 respectively and continued to keep the offense efficient with a .367 hitting percentage.
Graduate student Angelos Mandilaris and senior outside attacker Kaleb Jenness paced Ball State smashing 10 kills apiece while graduate student setter Quinn Isaacson dished out a team-high 19 assists and graduate student libero Colin Ensalaco finished with seven digs.
After defeating the Buckeyes in five sets March 16, the Cardinals beat the Buckeyes by scores of 26-24, 25-16, 23-25 and 25-22 respectively. Head coach Donan Cruz said Ball State didn't lose in its confidence despite dropping the third set.
Ball State Men’s Volleyball traveled to Columbus, Ohio, March 16 for a matchup with Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association rival Ohio State. The Cardinals and Buckeyes went to five sets, but Ball State came away with the close victory. Here are three takeaways:
Senior outside hitter Kaleb Jenness hit double-digit kills for the second consecutive match and recorded a team-high three aces. Jenness has consistently ranked top three in the nation in both attack attempts per set and kills per set this season.
Three of the four sets went to extra points, but the Cardinals won in four sets by scores of 26-24, 25-22, 28-30 and 36-34 respectively.
During the match, he is the voice of reason between plays. His glasses tip just toward the end of his nose as he looks down for a player’s name and stat line.
In what head coach Donan Cruz said was a recovery-focused move, the Cardinals played a heavily rotated lineup. Junior setter David Flores and junior libero Sammy Adkisson each made their first starts of the season.
It was a successful night for Ball State Men’s Volleyball at Worthen Arena as the Cardinals defeated Lindenwood in four sets. After their loss against Loyola Chicago, head coach Donan Cruz said it was important to get a win.
The Cardinals started the match by winning the first set 25-19, but suffered a "reverse sweep," as Loyola Chicago won the following three sets 25-23, 25-21 and 25-20 respectively.
Taking a bus an hour and a half south on I-69, Purdue Fort Wayne Men’s Volleyball did not have to travel far for their Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) matchup against Ball State Men’s Volleyball Feb. 17.
The Cardinals finished the job in set four, as senior outside attacker Kaleb Jenness had a team-high 19 kills on a .417 hitting percentage, the highest percentage on the court for players with more than 10 kills.
After missing the Feb. 5 match against BYU, graduate student opposite Angelos Mandilaris returned to the Cardinal lineup and recorded a team-high 18 kills.
Graduate student libero Colin Ensalaco led the Cardinals with 12 digs while senior middle blocker Felix Egharevba finished with a team-high six blocks. Cruz said Ball State will learn from this loss and be prepared mentally and physically for the second match of the series.
The Cardinals hit .410 off 78 attacks against the Rainbow Warriors, spearheaded by senior outside attacker Kaleb Jenness with 19 kills. Jenness said Ball State felt energized for its opportunity to defeat Hawaii.
Despite their short time together, though, the Cardinals have chosen their Everest: their 15th Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Tournament championship.
