The Ohio State Men’s Volleyball team huddles up after earning a point during the Ohio State-Loyola game on Feb. 20. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
The Ohio State men’s volleyball team achieved perfection in its final homestand of the season by sweeping the Lions in back-to-back 3-0 wins.
The Buckeyes (8-8) started off hot on Friday by winning 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 27-25) over Lindenwood (4-11). They followed up their dominant performance with another sweep on Saturday to claim their second win of the weekend by the same score, 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-18).
The Lions were unable to slow down the Buckeyes’ attack which focused on aggressive strikes at the net. Lindenwood couldn’t dig out these attacks which allowed Ohio State to build momentum and reign victorious in both matches.
“Instead of focusing on fear of failure, they did a really good job focusing on the game plan,” Ohio State head coach Kevin Burch said. “When they got the results afterwards, that reinforced that trust.”
Game 1
Ohio State took care of business, showing noticeable improvements in the confidence of its play in comparison to recent matches. The Buckeyes were able to capitalize off of momentum and punish the Lions’ mistakes to sweep Lindenwood in three sets.
The Lions jumped out to an early 5-2 lead in the first set, keeping the Buckeyes on their heels by aggressively fighting to keep volleys alive. Despite this early effort, mistakes plagued Lindenwood throughout the match which allowed the Buckeyes to go on a 7-0 scoring run and win the first set comfortably.
“Obviously when you’re a coach and you’re pushing a certain game plan, you hope to get results,” Burch said. “So, it was great to see that they bought in and were able to stay focused the entire match.”
Ohio State carried the momentum of the first set into the second, winning again by a large margin. The Buckeyes dominated the stat sheet, leading in kills, digs and blocks as well as having a higher hitting percentage than the Lions.
Freshman outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis led the Buckeyes with 14 kills and hitting percentage of .385. Siapanis also finished with five digs and two assists.
Senior middle blocker Austin Gerwig said that when everyone was playing at a high level, it became more about enjoying it and less about worrying.
“We felt so little pressure, so we were playing for each other instead of individually,” Gerwig said. “We just looked to each other and realized what we are playing for.”
Senior outside hitter Martin Lallemand also contributed significantly, notching 10 kills and two service aces. Sophomore setter Michael Wright handled the assists for the Buckeyes, earning 31 on the night.
Although redshirt junior outside hitter Diego Negron earned 11 kills for the Lions, his eight errors dropped his hitting percentage to .115. The Buckeyes were able to hold junior outside hitter Phil Swartz to five kills, three less than his season average.
The Lions managed to get the third set closer than the first two, but the Buckeyes were able to pull away and complete the sweep in the final set thanks to an ace on the last serve from Lallemand.
“It was six guys playing together, not just for a small stretch, but for the entire match,” Burch said. “For a young team, it’s been fun to watch their growth as we ask them to respond to different things and make changes.”
Game 2
Ohio State’s senior night gave the Buckeyes the boost they needed to continue their confident play.
“This year has been such an incredibly tough year, and volleyball is supposed to be a sanctuary,” Gerwig said. “At times when teams go on runs against us, we don’t feel that way, but tonight was probably the most fun I’ve had playing volleyball in my career.”
Ohio State’s newfound motivation allowed them to establish a rhythm early and maintain it throughout the match. After jumping out to a 4-0 lead, Ohio State never trailed in the first set, dominating Lindenwood with punctual attacks.
The Buckeyes avoided mistakes and capitalized off of their opponents, leading to scoring runs of up to 6 unanswered points. Ohio State managed a .386 hitting percentage compared to Lindenwood’s .160.
Siapanis once again led the Buckeyes in kills, this time with 13 and a hitting percentage of .435. The freshman averaged 4.5 kills per set between the two matches.
“His results over the last four matches have been as good as it gets,” Burch said. “He’s a super confident player, and he shows that confidence in a lot of different situations which is obviously helpful for us.”
The Lions’ limited success on the night relied on sophomore outside hitter A.J. Lewis. The Shorewood, Illinois, native earned eight kills, but also committed six errors and three service errors.
Several Ohio State seniors got a chance to contribute with Lallemand earning 12 kills and Gerwig with 10 kills. Senior outside hitter Robbie Murphy finished with an ace in the final set.
“Growing up in Ohio, playing at Ohio State was a dream of mine,” Gerwig said. “Tonight, everything ran full circle, and I’m so grateful for everything my teammates have done for me.”
Ohio State will hit the road for a two-match series against Quincy in Quincy, Illinois, on Friday and Saturday to close its season.
