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Purdue Fort Wayne
Ball State
No. 15 Ball State Slips Past IPFW in Five
4/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
April 11, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN - Emotions ran high Saturday night at the Gates Sports Center.
Despite IPFW leading two games to one, the No. 15 Ball State Cardinals (15-8, 6-4 MIVA) overcame the Mastodons (12-12, 3-5 MIVA) in five 3-2 (30-27, 26-30, 30-26, 16-30, 12-15) in front of over 900 fans, in the 76th meeting between the two rivals.
Ben Duckworth led all players with a career-high 27 kills (27-11-61) as Darryl Shank added 17, (17-4-30).
Seniors Nathaniel Berg, Marcus Dos Santos and Mike Morici all had productive nights for IPFW in their final regular season home match. Berg connected on six kills (6-0-16) and had a career-best eight block assists. Marcus Dos Santos made the most of his first start logging four kills (4-2-15), picking up six digs and rejecting one of IPFW's two solo blocks. Morici had eight digs on the night.
IPFW grabbed the lead first taking a quick 10-7 advantage. Ball State called a timeout, but it was the `Dons that responded out of the breather extending the lead to 13-7. IPFW led 16-10 before Ball State's Matt Sprague maintained serve for the Cardinals and banged two service aces. IPFW called its second timeout narrowly leading 16-15. Though pressured, the `Dons never surrendered the lead and led by as many as five at 24-19. BSU pulled to within one at 26-25, but setter Corey Stewart connected with Duckworth to end the set 30-27.
After being tied at 4-4 in the second frame, Ball State took the lead and led by as many as five (12-7) before IPFW began to crawl back. The `Dons went on an impressive 9-2 run to retake the lead after the TV timeout at 16-14. The Cards quickly responded with a kill and service ace to knot things back up. The two teams were tied at 18-18 before the Cardinals went on a short run that gave them the lead for good. Nathaniel Berg connected on two late kills to cut the lead to two at 26-28, but Ball State's serving was the difference in the set as the Cardinals won set two 30-26.
Set three saw the `Dons fall early, but dust themselves off and win a tough one. IPFW tied the frame at 7-7 with a kill from Shank before Ball State returned the gesture with four straight kills forcing IPFW to use a timeout trailing 7-11. The Cardinals continued to play tough, extending their lead to 13-8. By the middle of the frame, the momentum began to shift towards the Mastodons. IPFW defense stepped up and the Cardinals appeared rattled as the `Dons took the lead back with a kill from Duckworth at 17-16. The lead went back and forth before IPFW finally pulled away at 25-23. Darryl Shank came alive late connecting on three of IPFW's final four kills and securing a set three victory 30-26.
Set four was one the `Dons would soon like to forget. Nothing went right for IPFW as they fell into a large deficit early at 2-10. By that point IPFW had used its last timeout. The `Dons never recovered during the fourth as Ball State hit .538 and out blocked IPFW 7-1. The Cardinals got game four 30-16.
The fifth and final set contained as much drama as the rest of the match. IPFW scored first with a kill from Duckworth and the teams exchanged points until Ball State won two consecutive points to take its first lead at 8-7. After the TV timeout BSU's Todd Chamberlain struck a kill to give BSU a two point lead 9-7. Ball State then went on a 3-0 run to lead 12-8, all but securing the win. Shank recorded the `Dons last kill, but Ball State won game five 15-12.
With the win Ball State moves to 15-8 (6-4 MIVA) while IPFW moves to .500 at 12-12 (3-5 MIVA).
Duckworth led the `Dons with nine digs, while Nathaniel Berg rejected a career-best eight block assists. Corey Stewart also had a career night with 55 assists.
Ball State's setter Daniel Penrod recorded 56 assists and seven digs. The Cardinal's Billy Ebel led all players with 12 digs.
Mike Morici's eight digs moves him into ninth place on IPFW's all-time career digs list with 571. Morici passed Fred Malcom, 1988-91, who had 558. Morici now needs nine to pass men's volleyball assistant coach Ryan `Rock' Perrotte for eighth.
Next up for the `Dons is a weekend in Chicago, IL. IPFW first travels to Loyola-Chicago on Friday, April 17 for a 7:00 PM first serve before visiting No. 12 Lewis on Saturday, April 18.
~Dons~
