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A Ball State starting middle attacker is spending the offseason entering his senior year representing the United States at an international tournament.
Parker Swartz was selected to U.S. men’s volleyball team for the FISU America Games that started this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Swartz helped Ball State reach the MIVA Tournament semifinals last season and finished with a .313 attack percentage, including having nine kills while hitting .500 in an upset victory against Ohio State in April. He also had 18 aces during his junior season to move into the Ball State’s top 20 for most career aces during the rally scoring era.
Volleyball is one of the 13 sports featured at the inaugural FISU America Games. The bi-annual event is comprised of athletes from North America and South America nations.
Swartz is the only NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball player on the U.S. roster.
The team also has five NCAA Division III players — Marymount’s Alex Treser, Lakeland’s Desmond Williams and Addison Mertler and Greenville’s George Black and Johnny Milabu.
The United States opened the tournament with three-game losses to both Chile and Mexico.