Muncie, Ind. - Tate Sandvig paced the Maryville men's volleyball team with seven kills but Ball State downed the Saints in three sets. The Cardinals prevailed 25-12, 25-18, 25-13 in Muncie, Ind., Thursday night. Mason Mortimer added six kills and hit .250, while Jacob Fischer and Cole Torrence both had five kills.
 
What Happened
The Cardinals tallied the first five points of the match until Mortimer had a kill to get the Saints started. Ball State jumped ahead but Torrence pounded down a kill, and BSU committed an error. Maryville was within 21-11 but never got the deficit down to single digits.
 
The Saints were down 5-3 in set two but put together a 4-0 run to surge ahead. BSU had an attack error and Luke Van Handel notched a solo block. Sandvig followed with a kill and Terrence and Cameron Chambers combined on a block to put the Saints ahead 7-5. Maryville stayed on top and Sandvig's kill was good for an 11-10 led. Ball State edged into the lead at 13-12 but Sandvig again answered as he pounded down a kill. Chambers' kill cut BSU's lead to 15-14 until the Cardinals scored five-in-a-row. Fischer and Sandvig notched back-to-back kills to trim the deficit to 21-17 but Ball State held on for a 2-0 advantage.
 
Trailing 7-3, the Saints scored three straight. Sandvig terminated a ball, BSU missed on an attack, and a Chambers kill pulled Maryville to 7-6. Ball State scored four consecutive points to force the Saints into a time out. Mortimer had two kills as the Saints were only down 15-11 but Ball State used a 6-0 run to take control. The Saints finished with 27 kills while hitting .236. The attack had 23 assists on the night.
 
Statistical Leaders
Kills: Tate Sandvig - 7
Hitting Percentage: Cole Torrence - .714
Assists: Cameron Chambers - 21
Service Aces: Mason Mortimer - 1
Digs: Cameron Chambers - 7
Blocks: Four players - 1

Records
Maryville: 0-2
Ball State: 1-0
 
What's Next?
The Saints finish up their season-opening three-match road swing with a tilt at Purdue Fort Wayne Friday in Fort Wayne, Ind.