Senior outside hitter Martin Lallemand (6) prepares a service during the Ohio State-Loyola game on Feb. 20. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Christian Harsa | Asst. Photo Editor
Entering the weekend on a three-game losing streak, the Buckeyes collected a pair of wins against a ranked opponent to turn the tide on their season.
Ohio State completed the series sweep of No. 11 Loyola Chicago by winning three straight sets (25-17, 25-22, 27-25) Sunday at the Covelli Center. The Buckeyes (4-6) were able to shut down the Ramblers (8-2) by enduring long rallies and finding holes in Loyola Chicago’s defense.
“I think our backs were against the wall for sure,” Ohio State head coach Kevin Burch said. “We could have easily rolled over and been 0-2 this weekend, but I am proud of our boys’ fight and to see it pay off is a confidence boost.”
Both teams started off the match being plagued by service errors which prevented either from establishing a tempo offensively. As the Buckeyes settled in, they were able to score three straight points to go up 11-7 which allowed them the breathing room they needed to win the first set 25-17.
Freshman outside hitter Sotiris Siapanis heavily contributed to the Buckeyes’ attack throughout the match. He recorded 11 kills and a hitting percentage of .389, which helped the Buckeyes gain energy in pivotal moments.
Capitalizing off of momentum was key for Ohio State. The Buckeyes were able to go on a 7-2 scoring run to close the first set and carried that energy into the second set when they went on a 5-0 run to claim the lead and held on to it to win the set.
“They’ve learned that when you lose momentum and you punch back, you get the other team on their heels much quicker,” Burch said. “It was a much better serving effort tonight, and I think that was a big part of their momentum.”
The Ramblers showed moments of life throughout the second set, particularly late. Led by junior opposite hitter Luke Denton, Loyola Chicago was able to score a pair of points late to get within one of the Buckeyes.
Denton led the Ramblers for the second night in a row in kills, this time notching 13. He was the key player for Loyola Chicago’s offense, but the rest of the team could not get enough going to claim a set.
Despite his effort, Ohio State earned the serve off of a service error by the Ramblers. Senior outside hitter Martin Lallemand took advantage of this opportunity and finished the second set with an ace.
“They fought back in the second and third sets and didn’t give us a whole lot of points,” Lallemand said. “That’s when we really had to do the work.”
Despite a 5-point lead that Loyola Chicago held for much of the third set, Ohio State was able to battle back and claim the final set 27-25 thanks to Lallemand’s offensive dominance. He led the Buckeyes with 13 kills and two service aces.
Lallemand was a central player for Ohio State offensively, but several Buckeyes contributed in meaningful ways. Burch noted that having a variety of players stepping up offensively took the burden off of any one player.
“There’s a lot of guys that are becoming more reliable,” Burch said. “A lot of guys did their job today. The more guys you have confidence in, the better chance you have to win.”
The Buckeyes travel to Muncie, Indiana, to play Ball State Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m. to play the first game of a home-and-home series.
