Ohio State sophomore outside hitter Jenaisya Moore (18) hits the ball over the net during the Ohio State-Maryland game on Jan. 23. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State women’s volleyball (2-0) continues to navigate adjusting to change as its focus shifts toward playing on the road against Michigan State (0-2) Sunday, and Monday at 4 p.m.
Although having a schedule, every week of matches can be subject to change for the Buckeyes, and the team has to be willing to be flexible. After a positive COVID-19 case in Penn State’s tier 1 personnel caused the series to be postponed, the Buckeyes had to readjust their schedule to play Michigan State.
Head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said she encourages her team to be flexible and adaptable to the changes that could continue to occur week to week. Oldenburg said she wants her team to not hold anything back and take every chance they get.
“The biggest thing we’ve just talked about the last few months is being adaptable, and I think whether they are comfortable or not doing it, they are buying into it because it gives us an opportunity to play,” Oldenburg said.
With no Big Ten championship to provide an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament in April, each regular season matchup carries extra weight in building up a resume for admittance into the postseason.
Making sacrifices in order to play this season, sophomore outside hitter Jenaisya Moore said interactions between her and her family have been from a distance.
“This past weekend my family came in, and I know a bunch of other families came in, and it was just tough to see your families from afar and not be able to hug them after not seeing them for so many weeks and months,” Moore said. “But I definitely think they understand.”
Moore said the Buckeyes are learning to adjust to not having a lot of current film to scout their opponents ahead of time.
“It’s one of those times where we haven’t played in so long, so you don’t have that much film on teams. You have film from last year but you bring in, they bring in people, so we just gotta trust our training,” Moore said.
The Spartans opened their season with a trip to Minnesota where they had a two-match weekend falling to the Gophers with a 3-0 loss both nights.
Moore, who has begun her season with 31 kills and 22 digs, will be fighting against the Spartans’ senior defensive specialist Jamye Cox, who has collected 24 digs, and senior outside hitter Meredith Norris, who has 16 digs.
Moore said that constant communication between setters and hitters will be beneficial on the court for the Buckeyes to score points.
With constant change and unknowns, the Buckeyes are taking it day by day, focusing on being in the moment.
“I think when you focus too much on the future you kinda get yourself caught up in this circle,” Moore said. “ It’s okay what if this happens, what if this happens, but it’s like nothing is determined unless it actually happens, and so I think just like live in the moment focusing on the now instead of like the future.”
