While the men's volleyball team played two of its worst games ofthe season over Spring Break, the Cardinals reached a turning pointin a heart-breaking loss that could springboard them into thesecond half of the year, Ball State captain Keith Schunzelsaid.
The Cardinals dropped three of four games on the road overSpring Break. They have lost four of their last five games,dropping them to 14-6 after a 13-2 start.
Ninth-ranked Ball State started its road-trip March 12 at No. 16Loyola-Chicago, where the team has lost seven straight matches,dating back to 1997. The Cardinals allowed Loyola to hit .461 andserve 10 aces in a 3-0 loss to the Ramblers (13-7, 8-4 MIVA).
After a 3-0 whooping of hapless Clark (5-12, 0-12 MIVA), BallState headed to George Mason, who the Cardinal beat 3-1 at homeJan. 16, on Friday. The result was reversed the second time around,as the Patriots (4-11) beat Ball State 3-1.
The two losses caused the Cardinals to doubt themselves,Schunzel said. Before they faced Penn State on Saturday, the threesenior starters, Schunzel, Jary Delgado and Amitai Sasson, called ateam meeting.
"After two straight conference losses, we weren't feeling verygood, and we knew weren't playing well," Schunzel said. "Then wewent up to George Mason and played probably our worst match of theseason. We decided in our meeting that Penn State was going to befirst match of our second season."
Ball State won the first game against the Nittany Lions beforedropping the next two. The Cardinals then won the fourth game toforce a fifth.
The Cardinals held leads of 7-5 and 8-7 before falling behind10-8. They tied the final game at 10-10 and 12-12 before losing15-13.
"That loss was heart-breaking," Ball State head coach JoelWalton said. "We really battled in that match. We certainly didn'tback down. I saw a little more fight in us than I had seen inrecent weeks."
Even though they lost, Schunzel said the Cardinals played as ateam and with a sense of urgency, something that they lacked forweeks.
"Before the match we said, 'Win or loss, either way, let's getback on the right track. Let's get our confidence back,'" Schunzelsaid. "Everyone stepped up."
Losing to Loyola dropped the Cardinals a game behindIndiana-Purdue Fort Wayne for first place in the MIVA. And whilelosing four of five games would send other teams in a downwardspiral, Schunzel and Walton said they are confident and excitedabout resuming conference play Friday against IPFW.
"There is still a great opportunity this year for us to win ourconference," Walton said. "If I saw this as an uphill battle or animpossible thing to do, it would be hard to be optimist, but Idon't."
Schunzel said Friday's battle for first place offers theCardinals the perfect opportunity to get back to winning.
"We can start playing well again," Schunzel said. "We're feelingpretty good about the second half of the season. We feel like we'reback playing well again after three weeks of playing poorly."
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