Men's Volleyball Hosts Carthage, Travels to Ball State in Weekend Action

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The IPFW men's volleyball team will play a home-away slate this weekend, beginning with Carthage at the Gates Sports Center on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. The following evening on Feb. 18, the Mastodons will head south on I-69 to face instate-rival Ball State at 7:30 p.m. in Muncie, Ind.

BACK FOR MORE
The IPFW men's volleyball team returns to the court for a 32rd season, all under the direction of legendary head coach Arnie Ball. In 2012, IPFW welcomes back five starters from last season's squad that finished 16-12 overall and 5-7 in the MIVA, resulting in a fifth place finish in the conference standings. On offense, outside hitters senior Ivan Matos, junior Elon Fyfield, junior Phil Peterson and sophomore Eddie Rivera will lead the 'Don attack, as each is capable of accumulating double-digit game kill totals. Middle hitters senior Corey Frain and junior Rob Samp, along with liberos Jonathan Meyer and sophomore JW Kieckhefer will anchor the Mastodon defense in 2012. Freshman Omar Rivera will see his first action at the setter position.

LAST TIME OUT
A solid team effort from the first serve to the final point helped IPFW shutout NAIA member Cardinal Stritch, 3-0 on Feb. 11 at the Gates Sports Center in Fort Wayne, Ind. Ramon Burgos totaled a career-high 12 kills in the non-conference win, while Eddie Rivera managed eight, and Elon Fyfield and Dan Mader each recorded seven. Omar Rivera and Adam Quinn totaled 27 and 17 assists, respectively. As a unit, the Mastodons managed a season-best .415 hitting percentage against Cardinal Stritch.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION
For the second straight week, the Mastodons picked up votes in the AVCA Division I-II Men's Coaches Top 15 Poll, the league office announced Tuesday. IPFW received six votes this week, sitting one spot behind UC Santa Barbara for fifteen place overall. UCLA sits atop the Top 15 poll, followed by UC Irvine and BYU. MIVA opponents Lewis (7), Ohio State (8) and Loyola (14) also found spots in the rankings. The last time IPFW was ranked nationally was back on Feb. 18, 2008. Wins this weekend against Carthage and Ball State could help move IPFW back into the national poll.

SCOUTING THE RED MEN
The Carthage Red Men return six starters from last year's 23-11 squad which earned the program a first-place selection in the 2012 Preseason Continental Volleyball Conference Poll. At 7-1 this season, the Red Men have won seven-straight matches, picking up key wins over Quincy and Lindenwood. Carthage's lone loss came to Loyola on Jan. 17 (1-3). The offense is led by Randy Hansen and Pat Barry, as each has tagged 131 and 79 kills, respectively. Setter Connor Wexter has totaled 336 assists, while Hansen paces the squad with 67 digs. L.J. Marx is in his eighth season as head coach. Carthage is 1-5 all-time against IPFW.

SCOUTING THE CARDINALS
At 7-4 overall and 1-2 against MIVA opponents, the Ball State Cardinals have won back-to-back matches heading into this weekend. This week Ball State will travel to Ohio State on Friday (Feb. 17), before welcoming the Mastodons to Muncie on Saturday (Feb. 18). A program known for its blocking prowess, the Cardinals have three players with over 40 total blocks this season. Larry Wrather leads the team in kills with 99, while Graham McIlvaine has dished 378 assists. Head coach Joel Walton is in his 14th season at the helm. Ball State leads the all-time series against IPFW, 62-24.

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER
After a 1-1 showing last weekend, IPFW has won four of its last five matches. The Mastodons are 2-0 in three-set matches, 2-2 in four-set matches and 3-2 in five-set matches. The 'Dons are 4-2 in road matches and 3-2 inside the walls of the Gates Sports Center.

PACK THE HOUSE
IPFW's home match against #8 Ohio State on Feb. 10 drew the interest of the Summit City, as 1,144 fans made their way through the doors of the Gates Sports Center. It was the largest home crowd for a Mastodon men's volleyball game since April 12, 2008, when then-#1 Penn State came to Fort Wayne (1,390).

MATOS EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
On Feb. 7, senior outside hitter Ivan Matos was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Men's Division I-II National Player of the Week and MIVA Offensive Player of the Week. He wins both awards for the first time in his 'Don career.

PRESEASON SELECTIONS
The Mastodons were picked sixth in the 2012 MIVA Preseason Coaches Poll. Loyola was selected as the conference favorite, followed by Ohio State, Lewis, Ball State, and Quincy. Grand Canyon finished one spot behind IPFW for seventh place. Mastodon senior outside hitter Ivan Matos was selected to the preseason all conference team.

TEAM NOTES
IPFW ranks third nationally in service aces per set (1.60)...On March 26, 2011, Arnie Ball earned win No. 500 against Carthage at the Gates Sports Center. In 32 seasons, Ball has amassed a 511- 375 overall record, while guiding IPFW to six NCAA Final Four appearances and six MIVA titles...The Mastodon roster is made up of 26 players, including six seniors, four juniors, six sophomores and 10 freshmen.

Purdue University Fort Wayne Athletics

Men's Volleyball Hosts Carthage, Travels to Ball State in Weekend Action

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