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
Following a win to split and end their series against No. 4 Nebraska Saturday, the Buckeyes are hungry for another as they host their Big Ten rival.
No. 9 Ohio State (13-1) welcomes Michigan (4-3) for Friday and Saturday bouts at the Covelli Center. Sophomore setter Mac Podraza said the team’s ability to adapt quickly by maintaining composure will be beneficial to having success on the court.
“We’re so good at showing that we’re ready for the next thing that we use that mentality and use that energy to keep moving and just push forward,” Podraza said. “We don’t have to worry about what has happened in the last play, the ball that dropped or the set that was a little bit too wide.”
The last seven matches played between Ohio State and Michigan have been won by the Wolverines — with Ohio State’s last win coming Oct. 24, 2015.
Michigan junior outside hitter Paige Jones is coming off a weekend where she set a school record for kills in a match, as she tallied 37 against Indiana March 12.
“They have some really talented players, so we’re expecting them to come out and ready to fight,” Podraza said. “I mean, it’s Ohio State, Michigan, there’s always some animosity there so, we know that that’s how they’re going to come out and we’re ready to give it right back to them.”
The Wolverines pose a challenge for the Buckeyes with their pair of middle blockers junior Kayla Bair and sophomore Jess Robinson ranking in the top 25 nationally in hitting percentages.
Sophomore middle blocker May Pertofsky, who was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Monday, leads Michigan with 0.39 aces per set, ringing in at No. 6 in the conference.
For the Buckeyes, middle blocker Rylee Rader was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, having only one error in 46 attempts to earn a hitting percentage of .500 during Ohio State’s matchup against Nebraska. Rader was the conference’s co-freshman of the week March 1.
The Buckeyes are coming off a weekend against Nebraska, where both nights went into five sets and each close in points. The Buckeyes lost to Nebraska on the first night but rebounded the following day, returning to Columbus with a split series.
“One thing I really love is that we obviously lost the first game, and then we were able to come back that next in less than 24 hours and still compete at a really high level,” sophomore libero Kylie Murr said. “I think we gained a lot of confidence, or like within our team, that we are a top team and we are capable of a lot more than we know.”
Unfortunately, the Wolverines have not been able to play as many matches this season due to COVID-19 cancellations, therefore the Buckeyes have been focusing on controlling their side of the net to the best ability they can, Murr said.
The competition between the Big Ten rivals will start at 6 p.m. Friday and will be streamed live on BTN+.
“This is always going to be a battle, so regardless of the year, regardless of the season that either program has, it’s going to be a good match just because there is a lot of respect there,” head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said.
