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When coach Joel Walton made his 2009 schedule he knew opening the season at home Jan. 17 against Stanford University would be a difficult match.
Walton and the Ball State University men's volleyball team, though, got another indication of how tough that match would be Tuesday.
Ball State was ranked No. 12 in the preseason coaches poll released Tuesday afternoon, four spots behind No. 8 Stanford.
"We've known the Stanford match was going to be a tough one," Walton said. "Stanford being ranked ahead of us is great motivation."
The Cardinals, which finished last season ranked No. 10 and lost the conference championship match, received 70 votes in the coaches poll. Stanford received 127 votes after being ranked No. 9 in the final coaches poll last season.
This is the third consecutive season Ball State will play a home match against a West Coast team ranked in the top 10. Ball State defeated then-No. 9 Pacific University in 2006 and beat then-No. 7 UCLA twice last year at Worthen Arena.
"Beating another West Coast team at home would make another great statement," Walton said.
This is the highest preseason ranking for the Cardinals since 2003 when they started that season at No. 7.
Walton, who is a voter in the coaches poll but did not vote in the preseason poll, said the No. 12 ranking is a good starting point for his team. He also said it was based on the team's performance last season and having five of its seven starters return for this season.
"I think our team is capable of being ranked higher by the end of the season," Walton said.
In addition to the Stanford match, Ball State will play eight matches against teams ranked in the preseason poll, including two non-conference matches against No. 1 Penn State University.
Ball State was one of three Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association teams ranked in the poll. Lewis University and Ohio State University each received 89 votes to tie for the No. 10 ranking.
Lewis was predicted to win the MIVA in the conference preseason rankings released earlier this month, and Ohio State won the MIVA championship last season.
Despite Ball State finishing ahead of Ohio State by one vote in the MIVA preseason poll, Walton said he was not surprised the Buckeyes were ranked higher in the coaches poll.
"With the preseason poll there are so many different things that go into it," Walton said. "Everyone makes their best guess. It's a lot more important where you are at the end of the year. Right now the preseason poll is a guess."
Preseason coaches poll 1. Penn State 2. UCLA 3. Pepperdine 4. Long Beach State 5. Cal State Northridge 6. UC-Irvine 7. USC 8. Stanford 9. BYU T-10. Lewis T-10. Ohio State 12. Ball State 13. Hawai'i 14. UC-Santa Barbara 15. George Mason
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