Ball State Sports Link returns to live productions on ESPN3 this weekend as the No. 14 Ball State Men’s Volleyball team hosts No. 12 UC Santa Barbara and No. 10 Cal State Northridge in the 2019 Don Shondell Active Ankle Challenge.
Both matches, slated for a 7:00 p.m. start, will be streamed live on ESPN 3, available in the ESPN and the WatchESPN apps and on DIRECTV.
The two matches start Sports Link’s program-record five men’s volleyball matches televised to an ESPN platform this year, plus add to a 15-match broadcast package on SL Digital Radio.
Additional matches to WatchESPN include Jan. 26 (Ohio State), March 15 (St. Francis) and March 16 (Penn State). A complete list of all 100+ Sports Link live events this year can be found here.
“I hope that Muncie will come out and support the Don Shondell Active Ankle Challenge this year,” head coach Joel Walton said. “We’ve got some great teams participating in that, and it would mean a lot to have the community come out and show their support for those few nights.”
Sports Link’s weekend talent team features junior Jack Kizer and sophomore Jarin Matheny on the call, with freshman Ryan Klimcak as the sideline announcer and halftime host.
Senior Connor Nichols is the weekend’s executive producer with freshman Luke Astle co-producing. Junior Dylan Thompson will direct both matches, while sophomore Jared Frank is the technical director.
The Cardinals are 2-3 overall on the season after three-straight setbacks against ranked West Coast teams, including matches at Stanford and BYU.
“Every win we get this year we will have earned,” Walton said. “This schedule will help our guys be seasoned and understand what it takes to play at a high level. By the end of the year, whatever rank we hold and whatever position we stand in will be what we’ve earned.”
ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN app.
The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
In addition to ESPN’s linear networks, DIRECTV customers with a broadband-enabled set top box will also be able to watch. Customers will not need to log in to access this content, as they will be automatically authenticated.
