After 113 matches, nearly 400 games and countless memories, the collegiate careers wind down for Ball State University's three senior men's volleyball players, Evan Berg, Dave Carlson and Zoran Grabovac.
The Cardinals hope to end Senior Night the way the season started. The No. 14 Cardinals (20-5, 8-4 Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) host No. 10 Pennsylvania State University (17-7). The then-No. 6 Nittany Lions played host in January as the then-No. 14 Cardinals left with a 3-0 win (32-30, 30-28, 30-28).
Coach Joel Walton is excited about the match.
"Penn State is experiencing some injuries that is making it a lot harder for them to put together the kind of record they're used to," Walton said. "The good thing is we've been capitalizing on that."
The Nittany Lions stand atop its conference standings. Penn State senior Matt Proper leads the Nittany Lions with 4.28 kills per game.
"Proper is a stud," Walton said. "He is about 6 foot 6 inch, is very physically strong and he does a really good job for them clearing their offense, hitting a high number of their sets and really blocks very well."
The other real spark on their team is Alex Gutor.
"[Gutor] is a guy you can set a lot of balls to and he's somebody we've got to be focused on because he's a guy that if he's on track, he can give the Nittany Lions a lot of energy."
Pacing the Cardinals recently has been junior Nick Meyer. Meyer was recognized as the MIVA Player of the Week for his performances last weekend against Ohio State University and Mercyhurst College, both Cardinal victories.
"It means a lot because it just demonstrates how hard the team works and by other guys doing their parts helps a lot," Meyer said. "It's a good team effort and it just allows someone to go and excel in what they do, and I just happened to be the one in the spotlight to take the honor."
The award is Meyer's first on the year and second for his career.
"It's a great honor for Nick," Walton said. "Again this year he's really been our kill leader and our main offensive weapon. I think anytime an individual player is recognized, it's just a reflection on the team's effort."
The three seniors consisting of Berg, Carlson, and Grabovac have combined for 1,337 kills, 1,050 digs, 527 blocks, and 111 service aces throughout their careers. They will be using that as their final games go by.
"Our mentality is just to keep going," Meyer said. "We're working hard day in and day out. Everybody has got that mentality to just be doing these things on a daily basis."
Walton emphasized the importance of the Penn State match.
"I think it's very important because it keeps our momentum going," Walton said, "And it shows that what we're working on in practice is paying off."
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