After being out of the top 15 coaches poll for a week, the Ball State University men's volleyball team is right back where it started the season.
The Cardinals moved up to No. 13 in the newest poll released Monday - the same ranking it held at the beginning of its season - following a sweep against then-No. 11 Lewis University in its conference opener during the weekend.
Despite losing its first three matches, coach Joel Walton said beating Lewis proved to the voters that this team could play at a high level.
"Our guys played well the past weekend," he said. "The Lewis victory earned respect for the team in the poll."
Ball State (1-3, 1-0 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) received 38 votes - 28 more votes than in last week's poll - after beating its first ranked team this season. Prior to that match, the Cardinals lost three-consecutive matches to open the season, including loses to No. 6 Stanford University and No. 1 Penn State University.
Ball State was the second highest ranked MIVA team in the poll. Ohio State University moved up one spot to No. 11 after defeating IPFW during the weekend. Lewis dropped three spots to No. 14.
Walton said the three teams being ranked close together shows the competitiveness of the MIVA. He also said though, it's a sign of disrespect from West Coast voters.
With a majority of voters being from the West Coast, Walton said those coaches tend to favor teams in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation instead of teams from the Midwest and East Coast.
In this week's coaches poll, the defending NCAA championship Penn State maintained the No. 1 ranking and then 10 MPSF teams were ranked ahead of a MIVA team.
"I don't necessarily agree with that, but no one in our conference has any West Coast wins this season," Walton said. "I like to think that anyone is capable to play with the West Coast, but we have to be able to prove that fact."
The MIVA is 0-5 against the MPSF this season, including Ball State's three-game loss to Stanford.
Ball State's not playing another MPSF team this season, it hurts its chances of moving up further in the coaches poll, Walton said. The coach also said because Ball State's next match against a high ranked team is Penn State in April, the team has to win its conference matches to improve in the poll.
"If we can put together a number of wins and be the dominate team in our conference that will earn us respect," Walton said.
The Cardinals' next match will be against George Mason University at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Worthen Arena. George Mason received six votes in the coaches poll - four fewer votes than last week - and is listed at No. 17.
"They are a tough opponent and are coming into our gym lot to prove," Walton said. "We have to be ready for that challenge and play a good match or the results are not going to be what we want them to be."
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