Ball State is playing its final two matches of the regular season on the road this weekend, and it has no choice but to get used to it.
After losing to Lewis and IPFW last week, Ball State (11-10, 4-7) has been eliminated from playing at home in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament for the first time since 2000.
That leaves the team in a fight with IPFW for the fifth seed in the tournament. In order for that, Ball State to leapfrog into the fifth spot, it will need to beat Quincy on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT).
Both of the Cardinals' matches this week, though - the other being against Lindenwood on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT) - are about more than just seeding. They're about finding a way out of the team's current rut.
"We still have time left in this season," coach Joel Walton said. "It's not too late for our team to make a run."
Walton cited Santa Barbera's climb from the No. 7 seed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament to the runner up in the NCAA Tournament last season as a reason for hope going forward.
He said his team needs to get back to how it played in its upset over Ohio State on March 18 and away from its play in the three matches, all losses.
"I feel like teams in our conference have a certain set of rules," Walton said. "'This is how Ball State runs their offense, [and] these are the things we want to do.' And I felt like against Ohio State, we changed some of the things we did."
There's a lot of work to be done to get that point.
Anemic displays in almost every phase of volleyball in recent matches have created a need for any sign of hope going into the conference tournament.
Offense is still an area the team is trying to improve. Between lineup changes and system changes throughout the season, nothing has managed to boost Ball State's conference low attack percentage of .214.
The team's middle attackers, sophomores Matt Leske and Kevin Owens, have managed to play consistently well on offense, hitting a collective .366, and have developed a good rapport with setters Dan Wichmann and Graham McIlvaine.
It's been a different case at outside attacker. Junior Larry Wrather has often been Ball State's best player at the pins, but Walton is still searching for a consistent No. 2 option.
Both Jamion Hartley and Matt Sutherland think they can fill that role within the next two weeks.
"I don't necessarily want to jinx it, but I do feel like I can provide that offense," Hartley said. "Whenever we're down in a game and coach puts me in, the first thing he always says to me is, 'I'm looking for some offense, and I want you to be that guy to generate that.' I know what coach wants from me, and I do try to the best of my abilities to provide that."
"If my ankle holds up, I feel like I definitely could," Sutherland said. "Everything that coach asks [of me], I feel like I have to fill. I feel like I can fill that role."
Positive attitudes are a start toward better production. Now the players just need to put it into action.
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