Head Coach Arnie Ball
Arnie Ball

2005 could have been one of Coach Ball’s best on the bench. Out of necessity, he put a patchwork lineup together that came within one game of making the NCAA tournament.

This type of success should be nothing new to IPFW men’s volleyball fans. Under Ball’s leadership, the Mastodons have won five Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Championships, produced 13 NCAA All-Americans, two Olympians, six MIVA Conference Players of the Year, and countless All-Conference Performers. Ball has also taken four teams to the NCAA Final Four, finishing fourth in 1992 and 1994 and taking third place in 1991 and 1999.

In 25 years at IPFW, Ball has a career record of 411-299. In November of 2005, Ball was honored by the Fort Wayne Sports Corporation. Ball was presented with the prestigious Hilliard Gates achievement award for lifetime accomplishments and contributions to the sporting community of Fort Wayne.

Ball also was the first head coach of the women’s volleyball program at IPFW. From 1981-1988, IPFW won the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) four times and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1987 and 1988. He ended his eight-year run with an overall record of 231-102.

Ball also has a wealth of International coaching experience.

In 2003, USA volleyball called upon Ball to lead a young and inexperienced U.S. World University Team at the games in Daegu, South Korea. Ball’s team responded with a number of impressive wins, including a marathon five-set match, over France, that clinched the team a Bronze Medal.

In 1983, Ball served as head coach of the North Squad at the National Sports Festival in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1985, he served as an assistant for the World University Games men’s team in Kobe, Japan.

In 1987, coach Ball directed the North Team to the title at the ‘87 Olympic Festival. In 1988, he served as the director of the USVBA Junior Elite Camp in Boulder, Colorado.

Ball also served as head coach of the 1989 World University Games team, before being selected as an assistant coach for the 1991 World University team. In 1990, Ball coached the ‘90 Olympic Festival team to a Silver Medal. He was also asked to serve as the coach of the South squad at the 1993 Olympic Festival in San Antonio, Texas. In, 1994 his North team won Gold at the Olympic Festival in St. Louis, Missouri.

Again in 1997, Ball was called upon to serve as an assistant for the World University Team.

In the summer of 2000, Ball had the opportunity to be a scout for the U.S. National Team in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. It was the first time since 1994 that Coach Ball and his son Lloy, the starting setter for the U.S. Team, would reunite on the volleyball court.

A graduate of Ball State University, Ball earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from BSU in 1967 and 1971, respectively. During his undergraduate years, he enjoyed an outstanding playing career, lettering three years, and earning All-MIVA honors twice. During his senior year, Ball was chosen as team captain and named Most Valuable
Ball has competed as a player in the United States Volleyball Assoc-
iation for many years, gaining numerous awards and honors, includ-
ing All-American recognition in 1990 and 1991.

After graduating from Ball State, Ball took a teaching position at
New Haven (Indiana) High School. He then moved to Harding High
School, where he stayed for eight years. At Harding, Ball was the
coach of both the boy’s and girl’s volleyball programs. He led the
boy’s team to an overall record of 74-19, with three Indiana Volleyball
Coaches Association Championships. His girls’ teams posted a mark
of 75-32 and captured one sectional and two conference titles.

Coach Ball and his wife, Sandy have three adult children, Lloy, Amy
and Jana. They have three grandchildren, Dyer, and twin boys,
Caden and Jamison.

Assistant Coach Mark Franke

Mark Franke has been involved with the IPFW men's volleyball team in official and unofficial capacities since the team's formation in 1981. Since 1989, Franke has been a volunteer assistant coach with the team and has been part of all four of IPFW's NCAA Final Four appearances. He has no volleyball experience or background, having learned the sport on the IPFW bench, and takes pride in being known as the most volleyball-ignorant coach in the NCAA. Still, Franke is an integral part of IPFW's winning strategy because of his unique ability to record and analyze an opponent's tendencies throughout the course of a match, and then predicting the next play they will run. He is well-loved by the players, but only because he carries the team's meal money on the road.

A 1973 graduate of IPFW with a major in economics, Franke has been employed at IPFW for the past 26 years. He currently serves the university as assistant comptroller, director of financial aid and student information system director. Franke has also earned two master's degrees in business at IPFW.

Coach Franke met and married his wife Tommy while they were undergraduates at IPFW. Tommy holds bachelor's and master's degrees in education from IPFW. She is principal and 7-8 grade teacher at Ascension Lutheran School, and serves as official scorekeeper for both the men's and women's volleyball teams. They have two adult children who broke their father's wallet by attending college elsewhere and their mother's heart by living elsewhere after graduation.

Assistant Coach Dennis Johnson

Dennis Johnson has been involved with IPFW volleyball since 1988. From 1988 to 1992, Johnson served as an assistant coach and helped the team to two NCAA Final Four appearances. After the 1992 season, Johnson left the team to pursue other avenues. In 1998, Johnson returned to help the team in an informal capacity and then became an assistant coach again in 1999 and helped the team to another NCAA Final Four appearance.

Before coming to IPFW, Johnson coached the New Haven (Ind.) High School boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams from 1977 to 1988. In 1981, his boys’ team posted a 15-5 record and finished second in the state. From 1981 to 1988, his girls’ teams had an overall record of 150-50, winning the sectional title once and the conference crown twice. He also received Coach of the Year honors once.

Johnson received a bachelor’s degree in business education in 1968 and a master’s degree in 1973, both from Ball State University. At Ball State, he was a three-year letterwinner and a two-time All-Conference selection. Johnson also served as co-captain during the 1968 campaign when the Cardinals finished 33-3.

Johnson has been a business law and economics teacher at New Haven High School since 1968.

Assistant Coach Ryan Perrotte

Ryan Perrotte returns as the assistant coach of the IPFW men's volleyball team. He is originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada. A former four-year starter for the Mastodons, Perrotte presently holds the block assist record at IPFW with 429. He is also the current record holder for highest hitting percentage in a match (.850 vs. Ohio State, 1999). Perrotte played an integral role for the team that won the MIVA championship and participated in the 1999 NCAA Final Four at UCLA. That same year, he was selected MIVA All-Conference Second Team. In his four-year playing career for IPFW, Perrotte helped the Mastodons amass a 67-33 record. Since 1999, Perrotte has been a broadcaster with College Access Channel 56, providing outstanding play-by-play and insightful color commentary for various IPFW athletic events. Perrotte received a bachelor's degree in business-accounting, and just recently completed his master's degree in communication.