The Ohio State Buckeyes huddle up during a timeout during the Ohio State-Maryland game on Jan. 23. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Long rallies were in high supply in the Covelli Center Friday, with the Buckeyes taking the first of four sets.
However, No. 10 Purdue (12-5) was able to rally and claim the next three sets and the match (20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-22). The loss marked only the second of the season for No. 9 Ohio State (15-2).
The Buckeyes were unable to comeback completely, but they are learning how to have this result work to their advantage in strengthening their team to turn around and play again Saturday, sophomore libero Kylie Murr said.
“We were on this really good high, I wouldn’t say it was a reality check, but it was like we can’t play down,” Murr said. “We gotta play hard every single point, like we aren’t going to be able to get away with some of the stuff we were getting away with.”
Starting strong, the Buckeyes took the first set, but fell to the Boilermakers in the next two sets.
“Purdue is a great team and they were putting a lot of pressure on us,” Murr said. ”We felt like they were attacking us and we weren’t necessarily attacking back so we were kinda just trying to fight through that battle.”
The Boilermakers boasted its defense with 12 total team blocks compared to Ohio State’s seven. Purdue’s freshman middle blocker Taylor Trammell and junior opposite hitter Grace Cleveland led their team in blocks with Trammell collecting nine and Cleveland recording six.
“They are a great defensive team, they were keeping balls up so they also kinda frustrated us, but with a long rally so I would say a little frustration, but also there were moments like, ‘Wow, this is what we are capable of,’” Murr said.
The Buckeyes are looking to watch for the big kills in the big moments and win the long rallies over Purdue and are determined to bounce back Saturday, head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said.
“Usually we out hustle a team and win those emotional rallies and it fuels you even more, you know Purdue won those tonight,” Oldenburg said.
It came down to the fourth set, with the Buckeyes fighting for every point.
A Purdue run created a seven-point deficit for the Buckeyes that they were able to crawl back from and cut down to three.
“I think [Purdue] did think they had it in the bag and we dug deep and fought back and I think that’s good to see because we definitely have times, we’ve seen it, where you just collapse and all right four sets done because we gave up, maybe we gave up, but we fought back and that’s promising for where we wanna go,” Oldenburg said.
For Purdue, two Boilermakers recorded double-doubles with Cleveland digging 11 balls and 17 kills. Senior opposite hitter Caitlyn Newton matched Cleveland’s 11 digs and contributed to 13 of Purdue’s 60 kills.
The two teams had a similar hitting percentage, with Purdue only having a .009 edge over the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes had outmatched the Boilermakers in kills with 64 and digs contributing 84 compared to Purdue’s 71.
Freshman opposite hitter Emily Londot had recorded a double-double racking in 23 kills and tied her career mark of 17 digs. Junior opposite hitter Vanja Bukilić followed Londot, matching her season high of 16 kills and a .306 hitting percentage.
Sophomore libero Kylie Murr had recorded the match high for digs as she racked up 25 and sophomore setter Mac Podraza distributed 49 assists.
The Buckeyes play Purdue again at the Covelli Center Saturday at 2 p.m. before they head back on the road to end their 2021 spring campaign at Indiana.
