Senior middle blocker Cole Young (18) jumps to hit the ball during No. 18 Ohio State’s game against No. 15 Ball State Thursday at the Covelli Center. The Buckeyes defeated the Cardinals 3-1. Credit: Heidi Chang | Lantern Photographer
The Buckeyes have secured back-to-back ranked wins.
Ohio State earned a key conference win in dominant fashion Thursday night as the No. 14 Buckeyes beat No. 15 Ball State in four sets at the Covelli Center.
Ohio State setter Daniel Henwood Rodriguez recorded a career-high 55 assists to lead the Buckeyes to victory, while Ball State opposite hitter Ryan Louis finished with 15 kills, despite the losing effort.
The Buckeyes came out firing in the first set, as outside hitter Stanislaw Chacinski led the charge with three kills across four unanswered points from the Buckeyes.
Ball State responded with a 4-2 run that included two kills from outside hitter Tinaishe Ndavazocheva.
However, Ohio State quickly regained control, going on a commanding 12-3 run fueled by Chacinski and opposite Shane Wetzel, propelling it to a 25-14 set victory.
Ball State capitalized on early Ohio State errors in the second, taking an initial lead following back-to-back attack errors by the Buckeyes.
Ohio State recovered with a 5-1 run and took a 12-11 advantage, but the Cardinals responded with a 5-1 run of their own, led by Ndavazocheva and Louis.
The Buckeyes strung together a late 4-1 run to close the gap, but Ball State held on to take the set, 25-23.
The third set began as a back-and-forth battle, with the teams tied at 8-8 early on.
After an 8-8 tie, opposite hitter Patrick Rogers led Ball State on a 6-3 run to take the lead. Ohio State kept it close with four straight points to knot the set 20.
The Cardinals went on a 4-1 run, but with match point, Ohio State surged ahead.
A crucial 6-1 run down the stretch for the Buckeyes secured a thrilling 27-25 set win, giving them a 2-1 advantage.
Ohio State carried its momentum into the fourth set, taking an early 5-1 lead behind strong play from outside hitter Kyle Teune and middle blocker Cole Young.
Rogers attempted to keep Ball State in the match, contributing three kills during a five-point stretch for the Cardinals, but the Buckeyes stormed back with four unanswered points.
Ball State found a late rhythm with a 5-1 run, but it wasn’t enough as Wetzel sealed the match for Ohio State, 25-19, thanks to back-to-back kills.
Buckeyes libero Drew Hudson reflected on the significance of the home victory following a tough five-set loss to Ball State earlier in the year.
“It’s really good to start seeing some of the results for the fight and the work that we’re putting in,” Hudson said.
Despite allowing Ball State to tie it after the second set, Hudson said he knew his team was ready for the challenge.
“This has been a tough team all year, you know, not much rattles us and we take pride in that,” Hudson said.
Head coach Kevin Burch praised his team’s defensive execution in key moments.
“It wasn’t the perfect defensive match, but I think if you look at the after 20 in each set, we were pretty good defensively,” Burch said.
Burch also knows how pivotal it is to keep improving at this point in the year.
“The most important thing is that we continue to earn confidence and get better and better,” Burch said. “It’s cliché, but it’s so true.”
Ohio State remains at home to face No. 16 Lewis University (19-7, 9-4 MIVA) at 5 p.m. Saturday. The game will stream on Big Ten+.
