McKendree Remains Hot In 5 Set Win Over Ball State
KP’S NCAA D I-II Match of the Week did not disappoint with number 17th ranked McKendree increasing their winning streak against ranked opponents, they beat number eight Ball State in five sets (26-24, 23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-10). Before the match, McKendree tested themselves early in the season playing two matches against the highly talented Hawaii squad and on the way home played against the steadily improving UCSD program. “The matches out west helped us with a grueling MIVA schedule. There’s no downtime, every opponent is always at the top of their game. We chose as a team to play the nation’s best to learn more about ourselves and get some adversity under our belt before conference play,” said McKendree Head Coach Nickie Sanlin. In the MIVA conference play McKendree already has victories over ranked opponents Loyola, Ohio State, Lewis, and now Ball State.
The match started a bit sloppy with Ball State committing 14 attacking errors and hitting -.029. Both teams exchanged big scoring runs early in the set. McKendree did not have the cleanest set hitting .138. They found themselves down 16-19. With some timely blocks and kills they tied it up at 21-21. The McKendree Bearcats used that momentum to get to 24-21 lead. Ball State showed some fight to tie the match at 24-24, but the Bearcats earned back-to-back points to win the set.
In set two both teams started playing to their potential with Ball State cutting down their hitting errors to three and hitting .351 for the set. McKendree hit .306 and had a total of 15 kills for the set. The back-and-forth set found itself even at 20-20. The Cardinals were clutch down the stretch to win 25-23.
The theme continued for sets three and four. Both sets were close, with exciting blocks and great back-row defensive effort. McKendree took set three 25-22, and Ball State rallied to win set four 25-21 to force a fifth and decisive set.
Out of the gate McKendree stormed out to a 6-1 lead in the fifth set. They road that momentum to win the set and match 15-10. For the match, the Bearcats were led by redshirt senior opposite Nikos Xydakis who had 20 kills and nine digs. Sam Hoskins added 18 kills and sophomore setter Nate Flayter had 52 assists.
Coach Sanlin shared her thoughts after the match, “We expected a battle. Under Donan’s tutelage, Ball State has been a powerhouse team. We knew it was going to be a dogfight, but we had to play our game. They had some young guys step up and give us some problems at the net, but we held our composure. I am proud of our resolve!”
The recent recipe for success for McKendree is to extend rallies, get key blocks, dig a lot of balls, and force their opponents to low-hitting percentages. “We constantly work on defense and improving the quality of our touches. We understand our limitations that we don’t have a marquee player but a team, so defense is paramount,” said Coach Sanlin.
Ball State is still in a good position in the MIVA and when they get their full roster back they will be competing for a conference championship. Tinaishe Ndavazocheva, a key player for the Cardinals was out for the match due to injury. “McKendree is a good team that plays well together. We had opportunities but failed to capitalize in critical moments in set one and three,” said Head Coach Donan Cruz.
Due to some injuries two freshmen, Ryan Louis and Wil Basilio had to fill in for the Cardinals. Louis, who plays opposite had 21 kills on 47 swings and Basilio added four kills on the outside. “Ryan Louis and Wil Basilio have stepped up significantly for our team. We have had the opportunity for Ryan and Wil to see the court while other guys are working their way back from injury. We believe in the depth of our unit and expect them to play well when their name is called. Proud how they battled against a tough McKendree team,” said Coach Cruz.
There is still a lot of season left for both of these teams and they will continue to be tested. “The positive takeaways from our wins and losses moving ahead are that we are in a good place. Taking some cracks along the way is not a bad thing. Five set moments like McKendree, Lewis, and BYU continually reinforce the value of evolving and working towards peaking at the right time. Time to turn the page. Eyes forward in preparation for Ohio State on Thursday,” said Coach Cruz.
Ball State:
Notable men’s volleyball alumni:
Don Shondell (Coach: 1964-1998) – Co-founder of the MIVA, First MIVA President, eight-time MIVA Coach of the Year, 2003 AVCA Hall of Fame, 1996 Volleyball Hall of Fame, 1983 Ball State Hall of Fame.
Chris Beerman (1987-90) – Two-time All-American, 1990 ASICS All-America team member, founder of Lexington United Volleyball Club, 2023 Ball State Hall of Fame.
Greg Romano (1992-95) – Two-time Asics/Volleyball Magazine All-American Honorable Mention Recipient, 1997-2000 United State National Team member, 2000 Olympic Team alternate, US Junior National Team Member, 2022 Ball State Hall of Fame, 2024 MIVA Hall of Fame
Phil Eatherton (1994-97) – 2004 U.S. Men’s Volleyball Olympic team member, 1998 USA World Championship team member, 1999 USA Pan-American team member, 2006 USA World Championship Team member.
Quinn Isaacson (2018-2022) – First Team NVA/AVCA All-American, 2022 Lloy Ball Award Winner, USA Men’s Volleyball 2024 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) member, 2022 USA Men’s Volleyball Pan-Am Cup Bronze Medalist.
Head Coaches:
Don Shondell (1964-1998)
Joel Walton (1999-2021)
Donan Cruz (2022-Present)
Conference Championships: 38 total – 23 regular season, 15 tournament and 10 Final four appearances.
Ball State was among the first of eight teams that formed the MIVA (previously the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Conference, now the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) in 1961. Don Shondell was a big factor in creating the conference, which was the nation’s first collegiate men’s volleyball league. Shondell went on to be the head coach for Ball State men’s volleyball for 34 years. In total, Ball State has been a part of the MIVA for 64 years and has never been a member of another league.
Ball State is among the winningest men’s volleyball teams in the NCAA. Going into the 2025 season, the Cardinals claimed the fifth highest all-time winning percentage at .701 (1283-546). The Cardinals are also ranked fifth for the most number of wins from a program in the last five years with 88 wins at a .704 win percentage.
Making an impact on the community:
Chirp or Treat – This fall, the Cardinals’ men’s volleyball team was involved in Ball State’s annual Chirp or Treat event which includes a Mid-American Conference wide food drive, a clothing drive, and the chance to interact with the local Muncie community through Trick or Treating on the concourse.
Academics:
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
Public University
Enrollment – 20,440
Offers about 120 undergraduate majors in eight academic colleges
McKendree
Notable Alumni:
Jorge Collazo (2018 & 2020) – Assistant coach at UC San Diego
Tyler Poulsen – (2020-2024) 1,811 assists, 317 digs, 101 kills – Plays pro overseas in Latvia for Mājas Spēle (ezerzeme)
Kyle Wilson (2023-2024) – 309 kills, 169 digs, 21 aces – Plays pro overseas in Latvia for Mājas Spēle (ezerzeme)
Patrick Ross (2018-2022) – 980 kills, 535 digs, 79 assists, 74 assists, 2022 NVA/AVCA All-American
Been in the MIVA since 2015 (10 years)
Head coach: Nickie Sanlin 12 years, Created men’s volleyball program at McKendree
Assistants: Miranda Rodriguez, Janeese VerVelde
Student Assistant: Amber Williams
Academics:
Founded in 1828, Mascot: Bogey the Bearcat, Colors: Purple & Gold, 55 majors & 41 minors, 37 intercollegiate sports teams, Located in Lebanon, Ill., Private University
The post McKendree Remains Hot In 5 Set Win Over Ball State appeared first on Volleyballmag.com.