MVB Concludes Season in Five Set Loss to Lewis

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Ball State men's volleyball fell 2-3 (20-25, 25-16, 18-25, 25-20, 11-15) to Lewis in the opening match of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) tournament Saturday night in Romeoville, Illinois.

As the higher seed, the fourth-ranked Flyers (22-8, 12-5 MIVA) hosted the fifth-ranked Cardinals (17-13, 9-8 MIVA) to begin postseason play. With the victory, Lewis will now move on to play top-seeded Loyola Chicago on Wednesday, April 23.

The whole match was a back-and-forth battle that started in favor of the Flyers. Lewis jumped ahead early on the Cardinals, taking a 6-1 lead to open the first and force Ball State to call a timeout. The Cardinals put down two out of the break but were never able to catch up with the Flyers' offense, dropping the first frame 20-25.

Set two started on a different note, this time with Ball State taking a 6-2 advantage over the Flyers. Lewis was able to come within one point at 12-11, but a five-point run from the Cardinals shaped the direction for the rest of the set. Rajé Alleyne secured the second frame on a 25-16 kill.

At an even 1-1 score, the Cardinals looked to take the lead with a strong set three. However, Lewis jumped back into the driver's seat, leading Ball State from the opening point. The Flyers took the third frame 25-18.

Momentum was traded back to the Cardinals after back-to-back kills from Patrick Rogers opened set four. Ball State surged through the frame, winning the point on a 25-20 kill from Alleyne and tying the match at two points each.

With the season on the line, the two teams entered the final set with a similar goal in mind. The Flyers took the first point, but Ball State was able to put together a 6-4 lead while trying to maintain control. However, Lewis fought back, ultimately winning the match from a 15-11 final frame.

First-Team All-MIVA honorees Rogers and Tinaishe Ndavazocheva were among the top players for the Cardinals, recording 16 and 13 kills respectively. Alleyne, the second team recipient was also a playmaker, adding 14 kills and two aces.

Despite the loss, Ball State was the superior team at the service line as the Flyers recorded 21 service errors in comparison to the Cardinals' 11. Ball State also led in digs with 46 on the night.

Team Stats

Patrick Rogers

Rajé Alleyne

Tinaishe Ndavazocheva

Braydon Savitski-Lynde

Players Mentioned

Tinaishe Ndavazocheva

Patrick Rogers