Freshman outside hitter Stanislaw Chacinski jumps up to hit the ball during No. 3 Ohio State’s 3-1 win over No. 6 Lindenwood Saturday at the Covelli Center. The Buckeyes will now advance to the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament Semifinals. Credit: Jay LaPrete via Ohio State Athletics
Win and advance.
That’s exactly what Ohio State did Saturday.
The Buckeyes have advanced to the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association semifinals behind a dominant four-set performance.
No. 3 seed Ohio State defeated No. 6 seed Lindenwood 3-1 at the Covelli Center in the quarterfinals of the MIVA Tournament.
The Buckeyes, led by opposite hitters Shane Wetzel’s 16 kills, claimed the win with set scores of 25-15, 25-23, 24-26, and 25-14.
The victory sends Ohio State to the semifinals, where it’ll face No. 2 McKendree Wednesday at 8 p.m.
The first set opened evenly as both teams traded points to a 5-5 tie.
In a 5-5 set, behind the energy of the home crowd, Ohio State stormed ahead with a 10-3 run fueled by Wetzel and outside hitter Stanislaw Chacinski.
A brief 4-1 push from Lindenwood, led by middle blocker Amir Grant, showed signs of life, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Buckeyes.
A final 8-2 run from Ohio State closed out the set decisively, 25-15.
In the second set, opposite Ian Schuller sparked Lindenwood’s attack early with three kills to give the Lions a 9-5 lead.
The Buckeyes quickly responded with three straight points, and middle blocker Thomas Leahey added two kills during a 7-2 surge that shifted the momentum.
Lindenwood tried to claw back with a 4-2 run of its own, but late errors proved costly as three Lion mistakes in four points handed Ohio State the set, 25-23.
The Buckeyes looked poised to close the match quickly, jumping out to an 8-5 lead in the third.
Lindenwood refused to fold, though, mounting 4-2 and 4-1 runs to snatch the lead back.
A surge from Leahey, who led a 7-2 push, gave the Buckeyes new life and a slight edge.
But a furious six-point response by the Lions tied the set at 22, and a service ace from setter Jose Vargas sealed it 26-24 to keep Lindenwood alive.
Ohio State quickly rebounded in the fourth, jumping to a commanding 13-2 lead led by Chacinski, then pushed forward to a 17-5 advantage.
Although the Lions responded with a 4-1 push, it was too little, too late.
A service error from Schuller ended the set 25-14, clinching the 3-1 victory for the Buckeyes.
“We kind of lost our rhythm in the third set, but I think we bounced back in the fourth and really proved the strength our team has,” Wetzel said. “We knew we had to get the job done.”
Wetzel’s 16 kills led all players, and his 1000th career kill came in the final set to cap a memorable night.
“The crowd was really engaged, especially when Lindenwood started getting some momentum back in that third set,” libero Grant Strong said. “But they were with us the entire time, giving us a bunch of energy and we just fueled off of it.”
With the semifinals ahead, Strong said the team is keeping its focus sharp.
“We’re focused on one point at a time and one game at a time,” Strong said. “We’re not trying to look too far ahead, just taking care of business and doing our jobs at a high level.”
Ohio State’s semifinal match will stream live on Big Ten+.
