Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, April 21
GCU Arena
6 p.m.
Grand Canyon
vs
Ball State
Jeremy Price
Antelopes Host Ball State In MIVA Quarterfinal
4/19/2012 3:01:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
In a season of firsts, Grand Canyon men’s volleyball will add another to the docket Saturday night when it hosts Ball State in a quarterfinal match of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament at 6 p.m. in GCU Arena.
GCU earned the fourth seed and will host a quarterfinal round match for the first time in its three-year MIVA history. The Antelopes lost in the first round on the road to Loyola Chicago each of the last two seasons.
“I’m proud of our guys and their achievements this season,” said GCU head coach Jeremy Price.
The Antelopes came into this season with only one MIVA win. Over the course of the season, they won their first MIVA road match and five league matches overall to earn the No. 4 seed. For the season, GCU set a new school mark with 15 victories and beat a team (UC San Diego) from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), the nation’s top conference, for the first time.
GCU, Ball State and IPFW each finished the conference season 5-7. Grand Canyon earned the tie-breaker with a two-match season sweep of IPFW and winning more sets in a season split with Ball State.
In other quarterfinal matches, to be played Friday, second-seeded Lewis hosts seventh-seeded Quincy and No. 3 Loyola Chicago welcoming No. 6 IPFW.
Saturday’s GCU-BSU winner will take on top-seed and defending national champion Ohio State, which received a first-round bye, in one of two semifinal games Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio.
The Antelopes and Cardinals split matches at Antelope Gymnasium March 9-10. The Antelopes picked up their first-ever win against the storied MIVA program 3-0 on March 9. Ball State answered with a 3-2 win on March 10. Ball State leads the all-time series 7-1.
“There are no strangers this time of year,” added Price on the familiarity of the two teams. “In any tournament the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game is perceived to be the most competitive. There’s very little daylight between the two teams.”
Fans unable to attend Saturday’s match can follow all the action with live stats and live video. Links for the live coverage are available at www.GCULopes.com.
MIVA RELEASE
GCU earned the fourth seed and will host a quarterfinal round match for the first time in its three-year MIVA history. The Antelopes lost in the first round on the road to Loyola Chicago each of the last two seasons.
“I’m proud of our guys and their achievements this season,” said GCU head coach Jeremy Price.
The Antelopes came into this season with only one MIVA win. Over the course of the season, they won their first MIVA road match and five league matches overall to earn the No. 4 seed. For the season, GCU set a new school mark with 15 victories and beat a team (UC San Diego) from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), the nation’s top conference, for the first time.
GCU, Ball State and IPFW each finished the conference season 5-7. Grand Canyon earned the tie-breaker with a two-match season sweep of IPFW and winning more sets in a season split with Ball State.
In other quarterfinal matches, to be played Friday, second-seeded Lewis hosts seventh-seeded Quincy and No. 3 Loyola Chicago welcoming No. 6 IPFW.
Saturday’s GCU-BSU winner will take on top-seed and defending national champion Ohio State, which received a first-round bye, in one of two semifinal games Wednesday in Columbus, Ohio.
The Antelopes and Cardinals split matches at Antelope Gymnasium March 9-10. The Antelopes picked up their first-ever win against the storied MIVA program 3-0 on March 9. Ball State answered with a 3-2 win on March 10. Ball State leads the all-time series 7-1.
“There are no strangers this time of year,” added Price on the familiarity of the two teams. “In any tournament the No. 4 vs. No. 5 game is perceived to be the most competitive. There’s very little daylight between the two teams.”
Fans unable to attend Saturday’s match can follow all the action with live stats and live video. Links for the live coverage are available at www.GCULopes.com.
MIVA RELEASE
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