Ball State Men's Volleyball Releases 2010 Schedule

Ball State men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton officially released the team's 28-match schedule for the upcoming 2010 season, which features 13 home matches

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State men's volleyball head coach Joel Walton officially released the team's 28-match schedule for the upcoming 2010 season, which features 13 home matches including two contests versus Mountain Pacific Sports Federation member Cal-State Northridge (March 26 & 27) as part of the 2010 Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge.

   "I think we are very fortunate to be playing an extremely competitive conference and non-conference schedule," said Walton. "We continue to have good luck scheduling the strongest progra

ms from the east coast, and this year, we have four dates versus west coast schools who have become increasingly difficult to schedule."

   The Cardinals officially open the 2010 campaign Jan. 15 with its first of 12 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matches, traveling to Loyola-Chicago for a

7 p.m. (CT) first serve. BSU will also face the Ramblers in its final match of the regular season April 17.

   Following the season-opener with Loyola, the Cardinals travel to Carthage and MSOE before battling the newest member of the MIVA, Grand Canyon University Jan. 21 at Worthen Arena in the team's home opener.

   The contest versus GCU opens a five-match home stand in which BSU will also play Carthage, George Mason, Rutgers-Newark and defending MIVA regular season and tournament champion Ohio State (Feb. 5).

   The Cardinals then travel to Quincy for a pair of MIVA matches, while also visiting Penn State and St. Francis to open a home-and-home series with the two e

ast coast teams. The Cardinals return to league play Feb. 25 and 26 when IPFW and Lewis travel to Muncie.

   Following the Lewis match, Ball State will travel from coast-to-coast as it embarks on the longest road swing of the season, playing at Grand Canyon, UCLA and Pepperdine March 9-11, before heading to George Mason and Rutgers-Newark March 19-20.

   The Cardinals conclude the month of February with a pair of home contests versus Cal-State Northridge in the 2010 Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge.

   "We are excited to be playing at both UCLA and Pepperdine this season," added Walton. "In addition, our two home matches versus Cal-State Northridge will be premiere events on Ball State's campus as part of the Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge."

   April 1 brings Penn State to Worthen Arena, before the Cardinals make trips to IPFW and Lewis. On Friday, April 9, Ball State will host King College in the first meeting between the two programs in men's volleyball. The Cardinals round out the regular season with a home match versus St. Francis, a trip to Ohio State and the regular-season finale versus Loy

ola.

   Play in the 2010 MIVA Tournament begins with quarter-final action at campus sites April 24. The MIVA tournament semifinals (April 28) and finals (May 1) will be played at the highest remaining seed after each round. The tournament earns the league's automatic bid into the 2010 NCAA Championships, which will be hosted by Stanford May 6 & 8.