The serving and defensive pressures of the top-seeded Longhorns were too much for the No. 3 Ohio State women’s volleyball team, as the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament run ended Saturday with a 3-1 loss in the Elite Eight. Credit: Casey Smith | Lantern TV Sports Producer
The serving and defensive pressures of the top-seeded Longhorns were too much for the No. 3 Ohio State women’s volleyball team, as the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament run ended Saturday with a 3-1 loss in the Elite Eight.
Head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg fought back tears and congratulated Texas, which beat Ohio State in Columbus Aug. 26-27, on the advancement to the Final Four in her postgame press conference.
“The opportunity to play against them at home is something that’s memorable for our student-athletes and makes us ready to get back in the gym,” Oldenburg said.
Ohio State grabbed the initial lead and held a 13-12 advantage as the two squads battled for early control, but the Longhorns regained the lead on a three-point run. Texas senior libero Zoe Fleck seemed to be everywhere the Buckeyes tried to attack, collecting five digs in the first set and leading the Longhorns to a 25-18 set victory.
The Longhorns extended their early second-set lead to 11-5, but Ohio State found a way to close the gap. Junior middle blocker Rylee Rader’s sixth block of the match led to a four-point run which retook the lead, as the Buckeyes ended the second on an 11-2 run to win the set 25-21.
“We put up a fight, and when we put up a fight no one is going to stop us, and we believed in ourselves,” Rader said.
Ohio State held an early 2-1 advantage in the third set, but the Longhorns flipped the lead on a 7-0 run. Texas’ defense stifled the Buckeyes to -.105 hitting percentage in the set while running away with the set 25-13.
Neither team created an early insurmountable lead that the other couldn’t overcome in the fourth set, with Ohio State calling its second timeout after three-consecutive Texas points gave the Longhorns a 19-21 lead.
A reversed call went Ohio State’s way to shrink the lead down to one, but the Longhorns responded with three points to end the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
“We fought really hard,” junior opposite hitter Emily Londot said. “We could’ve given up after that third set, but we gave it to them in the fourth.”
Senior focus
Senior setter Mac Podraza finished with 36 assists and 10 digs in the match. Senior defensive specialist Kylie Murr added 12 digs to her program-record 1,935 total.
Senior outside hitters Gabby Gonzales, Adria Powell and Jenaisya Moore combined for 21 kills in the game.
One for the books
Ohio State advanced to its first NCAA regional final since 2004. Oldenburg has guided the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament in each of her three seasons as head coach.
