The ongoing shuffle at outside attacker for the Ball State men's volleyball team may be coming to an end.
Since the second week of the season, the lineup of juniors Larry Wrather, Jamion Hartley and freshman Shane Witmer at the position has become one of the team's foundations.
That should remain true in Ball State's two home matches this week against Lindenwood and Quincy. Wrather and Hartley both have only missed the starting lineup once in those seven matches, one due to a team punishment and one due to illness, respectively. Witmer has yet to miss a start in that streak.
For now, it's a significant difference in coach Joel Walton's usual rotations with this core group of players in the past few years. Six different outside attackers started at least eight matches in 2011, and only three of those players remain on the team this season.
The continuity hasn't been kind to every player, though. Junior right-side attacker Greg Herceg may have started 21 matches last year, but he's been regulated to a bench role now that Hartley has emerged as one of Ball State's best offensive weapons.
Herceg isn't one to complain, especially now that he's played in eight of Ball State's last nine sets and has racked up 18 kills in that time.
"I think it's been better now that I'm actually getting some time back because I'm getting kind of back into a rhythm," he said. "But it's always nice to get whatever time you can."
Four new players at the position — Witmer, redshirt freshman Matt Sutherland, senior Jeff Aucoin and freshman David Ryan Vander Meer — have helped Ball State create a "pretty equal pool" of talent, said Herceg.
"I definitely think we have a lot of options, and they're all pretty equal in their ability," Herceg said. "If anybody gets hurt, if anybody is having a bad game then we definitely have some guys that we can throw in."
The depth of competition hasn't limited Witmer or Vander Meer from quickly ascending up the depth chart in only their first years on the team. Witmer has managed to keep a hold on a starting position for three weeks, while Vander Meer earned his most significant time on the court against Lewis four days ago. He finished on the court in the team's 44-42 loss in set one and ended the match with one kills, seven digs and two blocks.
Both players are still dealing with the growing pains of playing through their first season, but Herceg said they both give Ball State unique skills on the court.
"They definitely have really good defensive ability," he said. "I know Shane is one of one of our best hitters, one of our scrappiest players, so it's always nice to watch him play defense. [Vander Meer's] not afraid of anything. He'll stand in and take balls to the chest and hit up against the blocks. He's got a lot of confidence in his ability and that's really good, I think, as a young player."
No matter who plays this week, Herceg said the memory of Quincy ousting Ball State from the quarterfinals of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament last season is still fresh in the minds of the players returning from that squad.
For him, the chance at revenge is something he's been waiting for.
"It used to be like ‘OK, it's Quincy, we know we're going to beat them,' but with the two losses in the past two years, we definitely have an attitude that we want to come out and show them that we're really the dominant team," He said. "The playoffs last year were really more of a fluke and just us playing bad. We have what it takes to beat that team."
For more coverage on men's volleyball, follow @andrewmishler on Twitter.
Who
Lindenwood - 7:30 p.m. Thursday
Quincy - 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where
Worthen Arena for both matches
Media
91.3 WCRD
Projected Starting lineups
Middle attackers: Matt Leske, Kevin Owens
Outside attackers: Larry Wrather, Jamion Hartley, Shane Witmer
Setter: Graham McIlvaine
Libero: Tommy Rouse
Predictions
Ball State defeats Lindenwood, 3-1, and Quincy, 3-2.
Both teams have improved from last season and should make for competitive matches, but the Cardinals have the home court advantage as well as the drive to pick themselves up from two straight losses. None of the outside attackers have started MIVA play very well, so they need to bounce back on offense for Ball State to take either match. Accomplishing that starts with McIlvaine, who also needs to help create a more efficient offense and set better.
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