Friday, April 17
Phoenix, Ariz.
9 P.M.
Purdue Fort Wayne
at
Grand Canyon
No. 15 Mastodons Wrap Up Regular Season in Phoenix
4/16/2015 2:10:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The 15th-ranked (American Volleyball Coaches Association) IPFW men's volleyball team travels to Phoenix to face Grand Canyon on April 17 and 18. Both matches against the Antelopes will begin at 8 p.m.
• IPFW currently sits 15th in the AVCA Coaches Poll and ninth in the NCAA RPI rankings.
• IPFW enters the week coming off a tough loss at then-No. 11 Ohio State in Columbus on April 11.
• The Blue and White are 8-4 all-time against Grand Canyon, a season sweep over the Antelopes last year.
• Mastodon seniors have combined for a 64-44 record entering the week.
• Luis Bertran is eighth in active career leaders for most digs, and the most among non-seniors, with 664.
• Omar Rivera is third among active career leaders in assists, with 3,739.
• The Mastodons will play 13 matches with teams which were ranked or received votes in the AVCA Preseason Top-15 Poll, including two matches against defending NCAA champion Loyola-Chicago.
• Mastodon head coach Arnie Ball is in his final season wearing Blue and White before entering retirement. Ball has the third-most wins (569) among active coaches and the fifth-most overall. Ball was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Location: Phoenix, Ariz. | Antelope Gymnasium
Live Stats: Grand Canyon Live Stats
Series History: IPFW leads 8-4
Last Meeting: IPFW 3 | Grand Canyon 2 | March 21, 2014 | Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Luis Bertran leads the MIVA with 255 digs), while sitting sixth nationally in digs per set.
• Omar Rivera is second in the conference with 863 assists, while sitting eighth nationally with 10.27 assists per set.
• Ryan Mather leads the MIVA with 354 kills, while Michael Milstein has recorded 713 assists for Grand Canyon.
• Gerrard Lipscombe paces the Antelopes with 187 digs, while Christian Ward has earned 108 blocks for Grand Canyon
Fortunately neither of the matches at Grand Canyon will make a difference for us on whether or not we host on the 24th. We have a few injuries right now and hopefully the home match in a few weeks will give us some time to heal.
On being recognized throughout the season:
It has been sad. It's been happy. It has been a lot of different emotions, but certainly it has been humbling for the recognitions I have received across the conference and across the country. It just means that, number one, I've been doing this a long time, and number two, that we've made some great friends along the way. That's what I'll cherish and miss the most, those friends.
On facing Grand Canyon:
Our most difficult factor going to Phoenix is trying not to get hurt. Since these matches won't factor into our standings, obviously we still want to play well and we still want to win, but I'll probably play some kids who haven't had a much of a chance this year. It'll give them some experience at the end of the year and rest some of the others heading into the tournament on the 24th.
Quick Hitters
• The Mastodons have clinched home court advantage as the fourth seed in the opening round of the MIVA Tournament on April 24. IPFW holds the tiebreaker over Lindenwood if both were to be tied at the end of the season.• IPFW currently sits 15th in the AVCA Coaches Poll and ninth in the NCAA RPI rankings.
• IPFW enters the week coming off a tough loss at then-No. 11 Ohio State in Columbus on April 11.
• The Blue and White are 8-4 all-time against Grand Canyon, a season sweep over the Antelopes last year.
• Mastodon seniors have combined for a 64-44 record entering the week.
• Luis Bertran is eighth in active career leaders for most digs, and the most among non-seniors, with 664.
• Omar Rivera is third among active career leaders in assists, with 3,739.
• The Mastodons will play 13 matches with teams which were ranked or received votes in the AVCA Preseason Top-15 Poll, including two matches against defending NCAA champion Loyola-Chicago.
• Mastodon head coach Arnie Ball is in his final season wearing Blue and White before entering retirement. Ball has the third-most wins (569) among active coaches and the fifth-most overall. Ball was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Gameday Information
Date: Friday and Saturday, April 17-18 | 8 p.m.Location: Phoenix, Ariz. | Antelope Gymnasium
Live Stats: Grand Canyon Live Stats
Series History: IPFW leads 8-4
Last Meeting: IPFW 3 | Grand Canyon 2 | March 21, 2014 | Fort Wayne, Ind.
Scouting the Mastodons
IPFW has clinched home court advantage as the fourth seed in the opening round of the MIVA Tournament on April 24. The Mastodons enter the weekend 7-7 in conference play, while holding the tiebreaker over Lindenwood for the fourth seed.• Luis Bertran leads the MIVA with 255 digs), while sitting sixth nationally in digs per set.
• Omar Rivera is second in the conference with 863 assists, while sitting eighth nationally with 10.27 assists per set.
All-Time Series vs. Grand Canyon
The Mastodons lead the all-time series 8-4 over Grand Canyon, including a season sweep over the Antelopes last year in Fort Wayne. The Blue and White are won the first six matches of the all-time series, and sit 2-2 when playing in Phoenix.Scouting the Antelopes
Grand Canyon has fell in the last three matches, including a sweep against George Mason in Fairfax, Va., on April 9 and 11.• Ryan Mather leads the MIVA with 354 kills, while Michael Milstein has recorded 713 assists for Grand Canyon.
• Gerrard Lipscombe paces the Antelopes with 187 digs, while Christian Ward has earned 108 blocks for Grand Canyon
Arnie Answers
On hosting the MIVA first round:Fortunately neither of the matches at Grand Canyon will make a difference for us on whether or not we host on the 24th. We have a few injuries right now and hopefully the home match in a few weeks will give us some time to heal.
On being recognized throughout the season:
It has been sad. It's been happy. It has been a lot of different emotions, but certainly it has been humbling for the recognitions I have received across the conference and across the country. It just means that, number one, I've been doing this a long time, and number two, that we've made some great friends along the way. That's what I'll cherish and miss the most, those friends.
On facing Grand Canyon:
Our most difficult factor going to Phoenix is trying not to get hurt. Since these matches won't factor into our standings, obviously we still want to play well and we still want to win, but I'll probably play some kids who haven't had a much of a chance this year. It'll give them some experience at the end of the year and rest some of the others heading into the tournament on the 24th.
.~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Volleyball
S
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