The Ohio State Buckeyes stand together for the National Anthem before the Ohio State-Maryland game on Jan. 23. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Keeping the momentum high under an unblemished record, the No. 19 Buckeyes travel to Piscataway, New Jersey, to face off against Rutgers for a two-day series.
For the first time since Sept. 11, 2017, the Buckeyes (9-0, 9-0 Big Ten) have been nationally ranked in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll coming in at No. 19. With an unprecedented season and a new direction under head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg, Ohio State has had its best start for a first-year head coach during the 49-year history of its volleyball program.
The Buckeyes continue to push their best start since 2013, with sophomore setter Mac Podraza collecting her first weekly honor of her career as Big Ten Setter of the Week.
Podraza ranks fifth in the conference with an average of 9.21 assists per set and had totaled 129 helpers during the previous three matchups against No. 8 Penn State and Illinois. She recorded her second double-double of the year when she assisted 42 balls and recorded a career-high 15 digs against the Nittany Lions.
Dating back to 1978, the Buckeyes have a 12-1 all-time record against the Scarlet Knights and have won the last 10 meetings.
Rutgers is coming off of a five-set, bounce-back victory against Iowa after falling in four sets during the opening match of the series on Feb. 19. The Scarlet Knights, who are 2-8 in the Big Ten, hit a .331 percentage mark during their Iowa series, resetting a Big Ten best for the second time this season.
Building off the momentum from its five-set win, junior outside hitter Anastasiia Maksimova is expected to headline Rutgers’ offensive attack against the Buckeyes defense.
Maksimova had tied her career-high with 17 kills Saturday and recorded a career-high hit percentage with .400 while having only one attack error out of her 40 swings.
Defensively for the Buckeyes, sophomore defensive specialist Kylie Murr ranks fifth in the league with 4.08 digs per set, while senior middle blocker Lauren Witte falls seventh in the Big Ten with 1.26 blocks per set.
The Buckeyes offense has gotten off to a hot start this season, sitting at No. 4 in the Big Ten with 14.68 digs per set, 13.61 kills and 12.21 assists.
Complimenting the offensive success, the Ohio State defense has held their opponents to a .155 attacking clip, the third best mark in the conference.
Ohio State will play at College Avenue Gym Friday and Saturday at 5 p.m. on BTN+.
