MUNCIE, Ind. — While high-flying spikes get the highlights, the No. 10 nationally ranked Ball State Cardinals are proving that those flashy, high-flying spikes aren’t the only reason for their success.
In volleyball, the offense tends to always get the spotlight and the crowd roaring, but they’re not the only piece to the puzzle, especially in Ball State Men’s Volleyball.
Ball State Head Coach Mike Iandolo emphasizes “turning points on defense” by putting the pressure on the opposing team by starting with a good serve, challenging their defense and having a good blocking defense is what works for this team.
“Something in general that we needed to get better at was ball control, specifically defense. Digging more balls and turning those into points and that starts with our defense. And for us it’s about how we become our best team and for us our best team is defense,” Iandolo said.
Within volleyball, the defense, specifically the middle blockers, have a split second to read the setter's eyes to successfully close the gap. And for middle blockers like Jacob Surette, this is one of the many important details that make this team shine.
Surette said that he and his teammates communicate before each play about who will fill in what roles and how they ensure that the defensive wall stays closed.
Even though the offense may bring in the crowds, the defense is what wins these games. You can catch the Ball State Men’s Volleyball match tomorrow, March 11, 2026 at 6 p.m. in Worthen Arena when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Contact Emma Bergman with comments at emma.bergman@bsu.edu.
