Ohio State junior setter Sanil Thomas (3) sets the ball to redshirt junior middle blocker Blake Leeson (11) during the Buckeyes’ 3-1 win against Loyola on March 29. Credit: Ris Twigg | Assistant Photo Editor
The No. 7 Ohio State men’s volleyball team will advance to the MIVA tournament semifinals after sweeping Quincy in three straight sets Saturday.
The Hawks came into the match thoroughly outmatched, having lost 3-0 the two times they played the Buckeyes during the regular season and posting a 12-18 regular-season overall record and 0-14 conference record compared to the top-seeded Buckeyes.
The Hawks managed to stay a few only a few steps behind the Buckeyes in the first two sets, but were left in the dust in the third when Ohio State ended the set with more than double Quincy’s points.
Though Quincy kept close on Ohio State’s heels in the first set, the majority of Quincy points were a result of Ohio State miscues. Quincy senior outside hitter Anthony Winters carried his team through the first set with seven of the team’s 12 kills, but his team still fell in the set 25-22.
The Buckeyes ensured the second set was not nearly as close, picking up offensive momentum and pulling away with a 25-18 win. Winters was unable to maintain the offensive pressure he showcased in the first set due in part to Ohio State’s hitting percentage reaching a match-high .476.
In the third set, the Hawks lost whatever hope they had of a comeback when the Buckeyes routed Quincy for the 25-12 set win to clinch the win. The Hawks fell apart, scoring half of their points and receiving the other half from Buckeye errors.
The Hawks — the No. 8 seed in the MIVA — are eliminated from the conference tournament while Ohio State will compete against the No. 4-seeded Lewis Flyers at St. John Arena Wednesday in the semifinals.
