Redshirt junior libero Grant Strong (1) prepares to hit the ball during the then-No. 13 Buckeyes 0-3 loss against then-No. 11 Stanford on Jan. 17 in Austin, Texas. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
The Ohio State men’s volleyball team will return to Columbus’ Covelli Center this weekend for the 2025 Big Ten Challenge.
The No. 13 Buckeyes (3-3) will take on the undefeated No. 6 USC Trojans (6-0) 7 p.m. Friday, before having a rematch against No. 3 UCLA (4-1) 7 p.m. Saturday
The Big Ten Challenge brings together top teams in the Big Ten and other conferences for a high-level competition. The early-season tournament offers teams like Ohio State an opportunity to build momentum and demonstrate their ability to contend with top-ranked opponents.
Ohio State libero Grant Strong said the team is carrying a positive mindset into the weekend, especially after the Buckeyes’ upset win over UCLA Jan. 18.
“We’re feeling confident after last match’s win over UCLA,” Strong said. “We have a lot of momentum, excitement and energy going into this weekend.”
Ohio State will first test its defense against a dominant USC squad that remains unbeaten. The Trojans have showcased a high-powered attack early in the season, leading the Buckeyes to emphasize defensive adjustments ahead of the matchup.
USC’s offense is spearheaded by outside hitter Dillon Klein, who has racked up 55 kills in just five games.
“Right now, we’re focusing a lot on our defensive system, kind of cleaning that up,” outside hitter Kyle Teune said. “Having a nice polished system ready to go for conference is really what matters.”
Following Friday’s test against USC, the Buckeyes will focus on UCLA, a team they stunned just two weeks ago. With another shot to beat the Bruins, Ohio State is determined to prove its first victory was no fluke.
“They’re a good team; they have some guys who can jump really high and touch really high, so we kind of learned that we just have to focus on our side of the map,” Teune said.
UCLA outside hitter Zach Rama leads the team with 63 kills, including 21 against Ohio State in the Jan. 18 matchup. Slowing him down will be key if the Buckeyes want to pull off another triumph.
With another opportunity to topple UCLA and a chance to hand USC its first loss of the season on the horizon, Teune said the Buckeyes are ultimately focused on making defensive improvements and maintaining a winning mindset to prove they can compete with the nation’s best.
“The goal this weekend is to go 2-0,” Teune said. “We took down UCLA once, and we’ve had some past success against USC, so we’re hoping to keep that going.”
