Purdue Fort Wayne
Ball State
Fort Wayne Travels to No. 11 Ball State Tuesday
2/6/2017 2:07:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Fort Wayne men's volleyball team travels down to No. 11 Ball State on Tuesday (Feb. 7) at 7:30 p.m. in the John E. Worthen Arena.
Who: Ball State Cardinals
When: Tuesday, February 7 | 7:30 p.m.
Where: Muncie, Ind. | John E. Worthen Arena (11,500)
Live Stats: www.sidearmstats.com/ballstate/mvball/
Live Audio: portal.stretchinternet.com/fortwayne
Play-by-play: Mike Maahs
Series History: Ball State leads 68-29
Last Meeting: March 16, 2016 | Fort Wayne 1, Ball State 3 (21-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-19) | Fort Wayne, Ind.
Scouting the Mastodons
Coach: Ryan "Rock" Perrotte | Second Season (14-28)
Kills: 517 | Pelegrin Vargas (147)
Assists: 488 | Michael Keegan (396)
Digs: 354 | Michael Keegan (63)
Blocks: 85.0 | Graydon Schroeder (36.0)
Aces: 43 | Colton Stone (14)
Attack %: .224 | Graydon Schroeder (.412)
Fort Wayne comes into the second week of February with a 4-9 record, 1-1 in the MIVA. The Mastodons took down McKendree in five sets, the best hitting night of the season, when they recorded a .380 percentage (63-17-121). The 'Dons are coming off a straight set loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, who ended Fort Wayne's four-match win streak.
Scouting the Cardinals
Coach: Joel Walton
Kills: 528 | Matt Szews (133)
Assists: 483 | Connor Gross (418)
Digs: 367 | Connor Gross (68)
Blocks: 106.0 | Matt Walsh (44.0)
Aces: 44 | Matt Szews (15)
Attack %: .306 | Matt Walsh (.538)
Ball State enters its pair of matchups with Fort Wayne with a 9-2 record, only having fallen to No. 6 Hawaii and No. 1 Ohio State. The Cardinals hold victories over seven opponents that the Mastodons have also faced. Saint Francis, No. 14 Penn State, Harvard, Sacred Heart, No. 12 George Mason, NJIT and McKendree have all fallen the Cardinals.
McNerney Defensive Co-Player of the Week
Redshirt senior Scott McNerney earned his first MIVA player of the week award last week (Jan. 31) after recording seven digs against No. 12 George Mason and 11 against NJIT, good for three digs per set. McNerney did not have a single reception error. Ball State's Adam Wessel was the defensive co-player of the week, while recording three digs per set against the same foes.
Schroeder Sets Program Record
Graydon Schroeder broke the Fort Wayne record in hitting percentage (with a minimum of 15 attempts) by recording 17 kills on 21 attempts with no errors, reaching .810. The previous record was set by Jason Yhost, who hit .762 (17-1-21) at Mercyhurst in 2008. Schroeder led the way for the Mastodons to have their best hitting night of the season, as Fort Wayne finished with a .380 percentage. Schroeder also tied the season-high number of kills in a match for the Mastodons.
Blocking George Mason
When the Mastodons faced off against No. 12 George Mason on January 27, Fort Wayne was not blocked by the Patriots. This was the first time that Fort Wayne was not blocked since January 13, 2006, when the Mastodons defeated Carthage 3-0. It was also the first win over a Top 15 team since February 2, 2015, when Fort Wayne topped No. 13 Ball State in five sets.
Freshman Killin' It
Pelegrin Vargas is starting off his freshman campaign with Fort Wayne on a strong note. He is the Mastodons' kill leader, totaling 147, which averages to 3.34 per set. Vargas had a career-high 17 kills at Harvard, while having eight total matches with double-digit kills.
Last Time Out
Fort Wayne split its last two home matches, getting a five-set victory over McKendree (25-17, 23-25, 25-23, 21-25, 19-17) before falling to No. 1 Ohio State in three sets (25-17, 25-13, 25-21). After these two matches, Fort Wayne sits at 1-1 in the MIVA.
Next Time Up
Fort Wayne welcomes Ball State for the second in a row against the Cardinals. The Mastodons get a chance against Ball State in the Gates Sports Center at 7 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 10). This match will serve as homecoming for past Fort Wayne teams and will include the recognition of the induction of the 2007 Fort Wayne men's volleyball team to the Hall of Fame. Additionally, alumnus Raul Papaleo's jersey will be retired, and the number nine will never be worn again.
