ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Lindenwood men's volleyball team fell in a tough five-set loss to the Ball State Cardinals on Friday night in Hyland Arena. 

OVERVIEW
The Lions would get out in front with a 2-0 lead thanks to a dominant first two sets back on their home court. Both offensively and defensively, Lindenwood moved as a unit, taking full control of the match with ease.

The home team ended up taking the first set in a smooth 25-14 victory, and Ball State looked stunned by the Lions' attack throughout the majority of the set. The Lions hit a stellar .531 as a team as opposed to Ball State's .080 attacking percentage, sending a message right away. 

Set two, although a little bit closer on the scoreboard, felt equally as breezy as it ended in a 25-18 Lindenwood victory. Various Lions looked sharp, with all six starters contributing equally throughout those first two sets. 

It wasn't until later on in set three that Ball State seemed to finally find their footing. The Lions didn't go down without a fight, however, but their fight wouldn't be enough to get the sweep. The Cardinals took the third in a 17-25 fashion, forcing things into a fourth set in Hyland Arena.

Lindenwood put the pressure on hard in set four, hitting a strong .379 as a team in hopes of getting the win in four. The Cardinals kept the momentum going in their favor regardless, and would scrape by with a 22-25 victory at the conclusion of the fourth. 

Ball State got out to an early lead in the fifth, with the Lions trailing 2-8 at one point. Lindenwood kept exemplifying their grit though, hanging on as best they could despite the various offensive threats from the Cardinals. The Lions would end up falling in an 8-15 final score, however, capping off a hard-fought five sets. 

LEADERS
A.J. Lewis (16 K, .213 A%, 1 ACE, 3 DIGS, 2 SOLO BLK)
Ian Schuller (14 K, .300 A%, 6 DIGS, 3 BLK)
Clay Wieter (12 K, .269 A%, 2 ACE, 3 DIGS)
Connor Sheehan (47 AST, 7 DIGS, 3 ACE)
Kyle Deutschmann (13 DIGS, 2 AST)

UP NEXT
The Lions will return to Hyland Arena to take on Ohio State tomorrow night starting at 7:30 p.m.