The Lindenwood men's volleyball team (16-11, 9-7 MIVA) continued its eight-game win streak and knocked off No. 10 Ball State (21-10, 13-3 MIVA) in a five-set thriller on Thursday in Muncie, Ind. This cemented Lindenwood's first MIVA Championship game appearance.

MATCH OVERVIEW
Ball State won the race to 10 and went up 10-8 early. The Cardinals grew their lead to 17-11 after the media timeout, which forced a Lindenwood timeout. Ball State closed out the opening frame at 25-20. Ian Schuller paced the Lions with four kills during the stanza.

The Cardinals began the second set on a 4-1 run, but Lindenwood battled back to take a 10-8 lead after an ace from A.J. Lewis and a Clay Wieter block. The two teams began to go back-and forth until Ball State went on a 3-0 run to take a 16-13 lead. The Lions tied things at 18 apiece as the set reached the late stages. Lindenwood grabbed a 22-21 advantage, which forced a timeout from Ball State. The black and gold earned the final three points in the set, finished off by a Wieter ace at 25-21. The Lions hit .440 in the second stanza and the match was tied at one heading to the third.

The third opened with a 6-1 lead by Ball State, but Lindenwood answered with the next three points, making the score 6-4. The Lions got within one at 9-8 after a RaShawn Bonner kill. Ball State settled back down and won the race to 15, going up 15-11 at the media timeout. Lindenwood got within one at 20-19 after an ace from Ian Schuller as Ball State called timeout. Ball State closed out the set 25-23 and went up 2-1.

It was a seesaw battle to begin the fourth set with no team leading by more than two until back-to-back kills from Schuller put the Lions up 12-9. Lindenwood maintained a slim lead at 17-13, causing Ball State to call timeout. Ball State climbed back into the frame, cutting the deficit to 21-18. Lindenwood settled back down as Kadin Warner finished off the set with his 10^th kill of the night at 25-19.

Lindenwood took a quick 5-1 lead in the fifth and deciding set after a block from Bonner and Lewis. The Lions continued the momentum and took an 8-3 lead after a kill from Lewis. Ball State clawed back into the set with three-straight points at 10-5, making the score 10-8. An emphatic block from Lewis restored a 12-9 lead for the Lions. Bonner finished off the set at 15-12, sending Lindenwood to its first championship game appearance in program history.

MATCH LEADERS
Clay Wieter (16 kills, .343 hit %, two aces)
A.J. Lewis (16 kills, .371 hit %, three aces)
Connor Sheehan (56 assists, eight digs)

UP NEXT
The Lions and Buckeyes will meet in the MIVA Championship match on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET in Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind.