Junior outside hitter Kyle Teune (14) and the Ohio State men’s volleyball team celebrate after scoring a point. The No.10-ranked Buckeyes swept No. 12 Ball State in three sets at Worthen Arena in Muncie, IN Thursday. Credit: Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
After their previous loss to the No. 12 Cardinals (16-8, 9-2 MIVA) this season, the No. 10 Buckeyes (16-7, 9-4 MIVA) bounced back with a 3-0 sweep on Thursday at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Indiana.
Sophomore outside hitter Shane Wetzel led the Ohio State offense with 13 kills, and junior outside hitter Kyle Teune followed with 11. Senior libero Thomas Poole led defensively with seven digs.
Senior outside hitter Jacob Pasteur, who leads the Buckeyes in kills this season, did not play due to a lower-body injury.
Ohio State jumped out front slightly to begin the first set as a kill by redshirt-freshman outside hitter Ben Putnam set the score at 4-3. The teams traded leads until multiple kills from Teune pushed the Buckeyes ahead 13-10.
Ohio State held a consistent lead, and the score stretched to 20-16 as the result of a Wetzel kill. A Ball State service error placed the Buckeyes at set point, and one final kill from Wetzel ended the set with a 25-18 Ohio State win.
The Cardinals grabbed the 4-2 lead to start the second set off a slam by junior outside hitter Tinaishe Ndavazocheva. The Buckeyes responded with a Wetzel kill and two service aces from redshirt-senior setter Michael Wright to regain the 5-4 lead.
Ohio State held that momentum and a Putnam slam stretched its lead to six. A kill from Wetzel placed the Buckeyes at set point, and a termination by junior middle blocker Cole Young ended the set with Ohio State on top 25-16.
A Ndavazocheva kill once again gave the Cardinals an early 4-5 lead in the third set. A Buckeye attack error and kill by senior opposite hitter Dyer Ball stretched the lead to three.
Multiple Ball State errors tied the score at 13 apiece, and another attack error gave Ohio State the lead. Errors continued to burden the Cardinals, while the Buckeyes’ lead stretched to four.
A Putnam slam set Ohio State at set point, and one final Ball State error ended the set at a 25-18 score, giving the Buckeyes the 3-0 win.
After their Thursday victory, the Buckeyes have a week’s rest before they travel to Lebanon, Illinois, to face McKendree University at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The game can be viewed on the GLVC Sports Network.
