KP’S NCAA D I-II Match of the Week didn’t disappoint with quantity seventeenth ranked McKendree growing their profitable streak in opposition to ranked opponents, they beat quantity eight Ball State in 5 units (26-24, 23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-10). Earlier than the match, McKendree examined themselves early within the season enjoying two matches in opposition to the extremely proficient Hawaii squad and on the way in which residence performed in opposition to the steadily enhancing UCSD program. “The matches out west helped us with a grueling MIVA schedule. There’s no downtime, each opponent is at all times on the high of their sport. We selected as a group to play the nation’s finest to be taught extra about ourselves and get some adversity underneath our belt earlier than convention play,” stated McKendree Head Coach Nickie Sanlin. Within the MIVA convention play McKendree already has victories over ranked opponents Loyola, Ohio State, Lewis, and now Ball State.
The match began a bit sloppy with Ball State committing 14 attacking errors and hitting -.029. Each groups exchanged massive scoring runs early within the set. McKendree didn’t have the cleanest set hitting .138. They discovered themselves down 16-19. With some well timed blocks and kills they tied it up at 21-21. The McKendree Bearcats used that momentum to get to 24-21 lead. Ball State confirmed some combat to tie the match at 24-24, however the Bearcats earned back-to-back factors to win the set.
In set two each groups began enjoying to their potential with Ball State chopping down their hitting errors to 3 and hitting .351 for the set. McKendree hit .306 and had a complete of 15 kills for the set. The back-and-forth set discovered itself even at 20-20. The Cardinals have been clutch down the stretch to win 25-23.
The theme continued for units three and 4. Each units have been shut, with thrilling blocks and nice back-row defensive effort. McKendree took set three 25-22, and Ball State rallied to win set 4 25-21 to pressure a fifth and decisive set.
Out of the gate McKendree stormed out to a 6-1 lead within the fifth set. They highway that momentum to win the set and match 15-10. For the match, the Bearcats have been led by redshirt senior reverse Nikos Xydakis who had 20 kills and 9 digs. Sam Hoskins added 18 kills and sophomore setter Nate Flayter had 52 assists.
Coach Sanlin shared her ideas after the match, “We anticipated a battle. Underneath Donan’s tutelage, Ball State has been a powerhouse group. We knew it was going to be a dogfight, however we needed to play our sport. That they had some younger guys step up and provides us some issues on the web, however we held our composure. I’m happy with our resolve!”
The latest recipe for fulfillment for McKendree is to increase rallies, get key blocks, dig quite a lot of balls, and pressure their opponents to low-hitting percentages. “We consistently work on protection and enhancing the standard of our touches. We perceive our limitations that we don’t have a marquee participant however a group, so protection is paramount,” stated Coach Sanlin.
Ball State continues to be in place within the MIVA and after they get their full roster again they are going to be competing for a convention championship. Tinaishe Ndavazocheva, a key participant for the Cardinals was out for the match because of harm. “McKendree is an efficient group that performs properly collectively. We had alternatives however didn’t capitalize in important moments in set one and three,” stated Head Coach Donan Cruz.
On account of some accidents two freshmen, Ryan Louis and Wil Basilio needed to fill in for the Cardinals. Louis, who performs reverse had 21 kills on 47 swings and Basilio added 4 kills on the surface. “Ryan Louis and Wil Basilio have stepped up considerably for our group. We have now had the chance for Ryan and Wil to see the courtroom whereas different guys are working their method again from harm. We imagine within the depth of our unit and count on them to play properly when their title is named. Proud how they battled in opposition to a tricky McKendree group,” stated Coach Cruz.
There may be nonetheless quite a lot of season left for each of those groups and they’re going to proceed to be examined. “The optimistic takeaways from our wins and losses shifting forward are that we’re in place. Taking some cracks alongside the way in which will not be a nasty factor. 5 set moments like McKendree, Lewis, and BYU frequently reinforce the worth of evolving and dealing in the direction of peaking on the proper time. Time to show the web page. Eyes ahead in preparation for Ohio State on Thursday,” stated Coach Cruz.
Ball State:
Notable males’s volleyball alumni:
Don Shondell (Coach: 1964-1998) – Co-founder of the MIVA, First MIVA President, eight-time MIVA Coach of the Yr, 2003 AVCA Corridor of Fame, 1996 Volleyball Corridor of Fame, 1983 Ball State Corridor of Fame.
Chris Beerman (1987-90) – Two-time All-American, 1990 ASICS All-America group member, founding father of Lexington United Volleyball Membership, 2023 Ball State Corridor of Fame.
Greg Romano (1992-95) – Two-time Asics/Volleyball Journal All-American Honorable Point out Recipient, 1997-2000 United State Nationwide Crew member, 2000 Olympic Crew alternate, US Junior Nationwide Crew Member, 2022 Ball State Corridor of Fame, 2024 MIVA Corridor of Fame
Phil Eatherton (1994-97) – 2004 U.S. Males’s Volleyball Olympic group member, 1998 USA World Championship group member, 1999 USA Pan-American group member, 2006 USA World Championship Crew member.
Quinn Isaacson (2018-2022) – First Crew NVA/AVCA All-American, 2022 Lloy Ball Award Winner, USA Males’s Volleyball 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) member, 2022 USA Males’s Volleyball Pan-Am Cup Bronze Medalist.
Head Coaches:
Don Shondell (1964-1998)
Joel Walton (1999-2021)
Donan Cruz (2022-Current)
Convention Championships: 38 whole – 23 common season, 15 event and 10 Ultimate 4 appearances.
Ball State was among the many first of eight groups that fashioned the MIVA (beforehand the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Convention, now the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Affiliation) in 1961. Don Shondell was an enormous consider creating the convention, which was the nation’s first collegiate males’s volleyball league. Shondell went on to be the top coach for Ball State males’s volleyball for 34 years. In whole, Ball State has been part of the MIVA for 64 years and has by no means been a member of one other league.
Ball State is among the many winningest males’s volleyball groups within the NCAA. Going into the 2025 season, the Cardinals claimed the fifth highest all-time profitable share at .701 (1283-546). The Cardinals are additionally ranked fifth for essentially the most variety of wins from a program within the final 5 years with 88 wins at a .704 win share.
Making an influence on the neighborhood:
Chirp or Deal with – This fall, the Cardinals’ males’s volleyball group was concerned in Ball State’s annual Chirp or Deal with occasion which features a Mid-American Convention huge meals drive, a clothes drive, and the possibility to work together with the native Muncie neighborhood by means of Trick or Treating on the concourse.
Lecturers:
Ball State College
Muncie, Indiana
Public College
Enrollment – 20,440
Affords about 120 undergraduate majors in eight tutorial schools
McKendree
Notable Alumni:
Jorge Collazo (2018 & 2020) – Assistant coach at UC San Diego
Tyler Poulsen – (2020-2024) 1,811 assists, 317 digs, 101 kills – Performs professional abroad in Latvia for Mājas Spēle (ezerzeme)
Kyle Wilson (2023-2024) – 309 kills, 169 digs, 21 aces – Performs professional abroad in Latvia for Mājas Spēle (ezerzeme)
Patrick Ross (2018-2022) – 980 kills, 535 digs, 79 assists, 74 assists, 2022 NVA/AVCA All-American
Been within the MIVA since 2015 (10 years)
Head coach: Nickie Sanlin 12 years, Created males’s volleyball program at McKendree
Assistants: Miranda Rodriguez, Janeese VerVelde
Scholar Assistant: Amber Williams
Lecturers:
Based in 1828, Mascot: Bogey the Bearcat, Colours: Purple & Gold, 55 majors & 41 minors, 37 intercollegiate sports activities groups, Situated in Lebanon, In poor health., Personal College
Kevin Pratte has enthusiastically been concerned in volleyball for over 23 years. Pratte began enjoying in center faculty and was lucky sufficient to play NCAA Division 1 volleyball at The College of the Pacific. After his enjoying profession Pratte received concerned in teaching volleyball. In 2009 Pratte was the graduate assistant coach for the College of Nebraska ladies’s volleyball program. Later in his profession Pratte made teaching stops at College of the Pacific, a number of neighborhood schools and coached at WAVE Volleyball Membership for seven years. At present Pratte is a bodily training trainer within the San Diego Unified College District, San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary member, a university volleyball recruiting coordinator, hosts a volleyball podcast present, the proprietor of the Center Hitter web site and runs a non-profit group to assist increase funds to offer boys’ highschool volleyball college students scholarships to play membership volleyball. He’s excited to proceed writing for Volleyball Journal and is keen to cowl the sport.
Basis web site: www.kevinprattefoundation.com
Center Hitter Web site: www.middlehitter.com
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