Ball State men's volleyball has made a name for itself as one of the nation's elite programs, earning a spot among the final four teams in 17 different NCAA seasons. But once again, the Cardinals came up just short of a championship berth, falling to UC Irvine in a thrilling four-set semifinal battle at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.
As the No. 4 seed, Ball State entered the match with a stellar 26-5 record and a reputation for dominating at the net. However, hitting troubles struck early. After leading the country in hitting percentage all season, the Cardinals managed just a .114 attack in the first set, allowing the Anteaters to methodically build a lead and take it 25-19.
The Cardinals found their rhythm in the second set, thanks in large part to MIVA Player of the Year Patrick Rogers. Ball State hit an impressive .387 in the frame, seizing control midway through and holding off a late UCI rally. A clutch kill from Will Patterson sealed the 25-23 win, evening the match at one set apiece.
The third set was pure drama—a back-and-forth battle that saw eight ties, including at 23, 24, and 25. Ball State actually held a 25-24 lead and was serving for the set when a costly foot fault by Rogers handed UCI a point. An attacking error then put the Anteaters ahead 26-25, and Andrej Jokanovic hammered home the winning kill to take it 27-25.
That momentum carried UC Irvine into the fourth set. After Ball State scored the opening point, they never led again. The Cardinals managed to tie it at 11-11, but a decisive 14-8 run from UCI closed out the match and ended Ball State's championship dreams.
UC Irvine (21-8) was firing on all cylinders, posting a .362 hitting percentage as a team. Jokanovic led with 19 kills, while Trevor Clark (14), Andreas Brinck (13), and William D'Arcy (12) provided relentless firepower. Setter Cameron Kosty dished out 53 assists, guiding the Anteaters to their fifth national title game appearance—a program that's a perfect 4-0 in previous trips.
For Ball State, Rogers was the lone Cardinal in double figures with 20 kills, but it wasn't enough to overcome UCI's balanced attack. The Cardinals exit the tournament with heads held high, knowing they pushed one of the nation's best to the brink in a season for the ages.