MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Freshman finds love for game
February 25, 2010Freshman Jamion Hartley and the Ball State men's volleyball team play host to rival IPFW tonight at Worthen Arena.
Freshman Jamion Hartley and the Ball State men's volleyball team play host to rival IPFW tonight at Worthen Arena.
The win over Saint Francis snaps a two-match losing streak for the Cardinals, who had lost three of their last four going into the match.
The non-conference win moved Ball State to 8-4 (2-3 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) with a pair of conference matches at home this week. The Cardinals play host to IPFW on Thursday before hosting Lewis University on Friday.
Five days since losing to a Quincy team that hadn't won a conference match in almost two years, Ball State and coach Joel Walton are trying not to think about one of worst upset loses in its program history.
Ball State is in search of its first win against a ranked team this season after losing to Loyola University and the Ohio State University in three game sweeps earlier this year.
Ball State drops to 7-3 overall, with a 2-3 record in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play. The Cardinals have now lost two of their last three after having a six-match winning streak.
Ball State (7-3, 2-3) lost to Quincy (3-5, 1-2) Saturday night 3-1. The Cardinals defeated the Hawks Friday night in five games.
Junior outside attacker Lee Meyer led the Cardinals with a career-high 27 kills. Junior outside attacker Dominic Spadavecchio led Ball State's defense with a team-high 13 digs, while junior middle attacker Anders Nelson had 10 kills and a match-high six blocks.
Perfection is what Ball State University is looking for this weekend as they play two Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matches at Quincy University.
Ball State (6-1, 1-1 MIVA) is on a six-match winning streak. The Cardinals' winning streak is tied for the nation's longest active streak with Loyola University, who defeated Ball State in both teams' season opener.
Ohio State has now won 13 of their 16 matches with Ball State, and coach Joel Walton believes that recent history is giving the Buckeyes a mental edge.
With Brittany McGinnis, Christie Waters and Andrea Felton now out, four of the six players from coach Dave Boos' 2008 recruiting class are now no longer with the program, joining former defensive specialist Emily Fisher, who left the team at the conclusion of the 2008-09 season. Only defensive specialist Kaylee Schembra and middle blocker Jennifer Boyd remain with the team.
Ball State was led by its experience in the middle. Juniors J.D. Gasparovic (16 kills, .500 hitting percentage) and Anders Nelson (13, .550) led the Cardinals' offense. On defense, Billy Ebel had a match-high 15 digs, while Nelson had eight blocks.
For complete coverage of Friday night's match, read Saturday's online edition of The Ball State Daily News.
This was the second time in the last three seasons Loyola has swept Ball State in Alumni Gym. Their defeat of the Cardinals in 2008 was one of two conferences losses for Ball State that season.
In addition to Hartley having the highest vertical jump on the team, Walton said the 19-year-old outside attacker has quickly emerged as one of Ball State's most physical players. The coach also said Hartley has the talent to become an elite outside attacker in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association.
The winds of change have swirled over the Ball State University women's volleyball team. Over Winter Break, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Hugh Hernesman accepted the co-head coaching position with wife, Stephanie, at Northwestern State University.
Women's volleyball coach Dave Boos pleased to be back at Ball State for the 2010 season.
Boos' five-member class is the second largest of his three-year tenure at Ball State.
