The men's volleyball faces off against Ohio State in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association semifinals.
The Cardinals will play the Buckeyes at host Loyola at 5 p.m. tonight. The Cards beat Mercyhurst at home Saturday 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
Head coach Joel Walton said while the team worked on defense and passing in practice, one of the main concerns was keeping everyone healthy.
Scott Bushong, who did not play in last week's match because of an injured ankle, was able to participate. Although he most likely won't start, Walton said he would provide the team with options against Ohio State. Setter Dave Carlson injured his ring finger Monday in practice but has been playing with a brace, and outside attacker Evan Berg continues to recover from a sore knee that kept him from jumping last week.
BSU will need its players healthy to help stop Buckeyes outside attacker Matt Greaves. The junior led Ohio State with 20 kills in its win quarterfinal win against Quincy last weekend. The Buckeyes beat the Cards in both regular-season meetings.
"It would be big part of our game plan if we could limit his effectiveness and get in his head," Walton said.
The Cards will need to stay focused, though. Walton said the team has a hard time digging itself out of a hole.
"If things aren't going well, we've been getting pretty frustrated," he said. "It's just how they're handling adversity."
If Ball State defeats the Buckeyes, the team moves onto the MIVA championship game Saturday against the winner of the Loyola-IPFW match. Loyola won the regular-season MIVA title. Ohio State was second, Ball State third and IPFW fourth.
Friday's game will be broadcast on WCRD.
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