After seven years, the Ball State University men's volleyball team will play the team it lost to the last time it was in the NCAA Tournament.
Ball State will have a non-conference road match against Pepperdine University in its upcoming season, Waves coach Marv Dunphy said Wednesday.
"We had an open weekend and it's an opportunity to play a good team," Dunphy said. "We are excited."
This is the first time the two teams will play each other since the Waves defeated the Cardinals in four games at the 2002 NCAA semifinals.
In the last seven seasons, Pepperdine has advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times, including winning the 2005 NCAA championship. During that same time span, Ball State has not advanced beyond the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament - its longest NCAA Tournament drought in program history.
Ball State was swept by Ohio State University in the conference tournament championship in May and ended the season ranked No. 13 in the coaches poll. Pepperdine finished the season No. 3 in the coaches poll but failed to advance to the NCAA Tournament after losing to University of Southern California in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament championship match.
A large difference from last season's Pepperdine team, Dunphy said, will be the absence of right outside attacker Paul Carroll. Carroll finished his senior season as the 2009 National Player of the Year and led the NCAA averaging 6.36 kills per game.
"Paul was a huge part of our team," Dunphy said. "Some other guys will need to carry a big load. We lost a bit, but that's OK."
The Cardinals match against the Waves will be March 11 as part of their one West Coast road trip during the season. Ball State will also play UCLA on March 10 in Los Angeles.
Ball State coach Joel Walton said last week that he likes his team traveling to the West Coast because it makes the non-conference schedule more beneficial for his team. West Coast teams from the MPSF had 10 of the top 15 ranked teams in the final 2009 coaches poll.
"I feel good about the schedule," Walton said. "We will be truly tested this year."
This match will be the first time Pepperdine has played a regular season match against a team from the MIVA since it played Loyola University in January 2004.
Dunphy said he had more flexibility scheduling non-conference matches this season because his team is not competing in as many preseason tournaments. Dunphy also said his good relationship with Walton allowed them to schedule this match.
"I know Joel pretty well, and he's a good guy," Dunphy said. "I usually don't schedule with knuckle heads."
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