A trio of Lindenwood blockers block Ohio State junior opposite Shane Wetzel (6) during the match at the Covelli Center Feb. 15. The Buckeyes defeated the Lions 3-1. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
The Ohio State men’s volleyball team is looking to build momentum against a top 10 rival.
No. 15 Ohio State (6-7, 3-2 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) will face No. 8 Ball State (10-5, 3-2 MIVA) 7 p.m. Thursday at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Indiana, in a key conference battle.
The Buckeyes are coming off a four-set win over Lindenwood, whereas the Cardinals are trying to bounce back from a five-set road loss to No. 17 McKendree.
To secure a victory, Ohio State must slow down Ball State outside hitter Patrick Rogers, who leads the Cardinals with 137 kills this season. On the other side of the net, Buckeyes opposite hitter Shane Wetzel leads the Buckeyes with 180 kills and aims to continue his strong offensive production.
Ohio State head coach Kevin Burch said fine-tuning defensive execution is one of the Buckeyes’ main objectives heading into Thursday’s game.
“The better we are defensively, the more stops we can get, the more we can frustrate them, the more that we can suffocate them, the better chance we have,” Burch said. “I think that’s a really easy way to control momentum.”
Burch said he feels confident in his team’s ability to compete on the road and face adversity.
“This group has responded as well as any team I’ve ever coached to being challenged,” Burch said. “They know they’re up for anything.”
With both teams sitting at 3-2 in MIVA play, Thursday’s match will have major effects on conference standings.
Redshirt senior outside hitter Kyle Teune said for the Buckeyes, the matchup is a chance to prove they belong among the top teams in the nation.
“Obviously, they’re a top 10-ranked team, and we want to show that we can hang with those guys,” Teune said. “We’re looking to show the rest of the conference that we’re here, and we’re trying to win it all just like everybody else.”
In addition, Teune said the Buckeyes are eager to face their longtime rivals in a tough road environment.
“We’re always excited to play Ball State,” Teune said. “Obviously, they’re our rivals. It’s always good to play there. They have a great team this year, so we’re always really excited to go out there and play a good team, especially a rival.”
Teune also said the Buckeyes welcome the chance to play spoiler in front of Ball State’s home crowd.
“We’re hoping for a big crowd out there, and we’re always kind of looking to go in there, be the villain and cause a little upset,” Teune said.
