The Ball State men's volleyball team knocked off No. 12 ranked Ohio State on Feb. 21, defeating the Buckeyes 3-0 at Worthen Arena.
It was Ohio State's first loss of the season in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play.
"It feels amazing, we came into this game with a lot of energy," junior Marcin Niemczewski said. "Everyone was pumped up and we showed them what we've got by sweeping Ohio State."
The first set started off back and forth between the teams. Ball State pulled ahead 19-17, forcing Ohio State to use a timeout. They finished the set with a 6-2 run to win 25-19.
The Cardinals carried their momentum into the second set, pulling ahead 20-15. The Buckeyes came back to take a 21-20 lead, but the Cardinals ultimately won 25-22.
The third set remained in the Cardinals' control throughout, as they never trailed by more than one. The team finished off Ohio State 25-23.
Ball State's passing game set up the offense in perfect position for its outside attackers to succeed.
"We had a pretty good balance from our offense, putting a lot of pressure on Ohio State," head coach Joel Walton said. "The most important thing was the way that our guys passed."
Niemczewski led in kills with 10, followed by sophomore Brendan Surane and senior Matt Sutherland with seven.
Niemczewski also led the team in digs with six.
Defensively, the Cardinals finished with 14.5 total blocks on the night.
Walton cited the team's service defense as a key in earning the sweep.
"The challenge tonight was going to be, handle their serving game; they put a ton of pressure on whoever they play," Walton said. "Our guys did a nice job stepping up and handling their serves, and we did a good job with our serves."
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