FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The moment was too big for Ball State.
A roaring IPFW crowd packed inside the Gates Sports Center. Sounds of trumpeting Mastadons and buzzing chainsaws blared over the speakers. The home team looked set on beating Ball State for the first time in 12 matches.
Meanwhile, the starting lineup of Cardinals were left to merely huddle together on their side of the court.
It was a one-sided situation. In two hours, it would stay that way.
IPFW rolled from the start, winning the first two sets before Ball State stole the third. The Mastadons closed out the match in the next game, winning 3-1 (25-21, 27-25, 21-25, 25-21).
Ball State's biggest problems centered around its inept offense.
Starting setter Dan Wichmann rotated with sophomore Graham McIlvaine throughout the match in leading the offense. Neither player looked more effective than the other.
Three of the four sets ended with Ball State hitting under at least .143. A hitting percentage of .385 in the third set saved the overall mark.
The team's defense unexpectedly struggled as well. Nearly four IPFW attackers hit at least 10 kills, with Phil Peterson falling only one short of double digits.
IPFW ended an 11-match losing streak to Ball State, ending the recent trend of being a one-sided rivalry.
Ball State lost its third straight conference match, putting the team at 4-7 in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
Since Grand Canyon stands at 5-5 in the MIVA with the tiebreaker over Ball State, the Cardinals are elimated from reaching the top four seeds. They only have one MIVA match left.
Coach Joel Walton did not make himself available for comment.
Two matches remain for Ball State before the MIVA Tournament. It will play Quincy on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) and Lindenwood on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT), both on the road.
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