The No. 11 Ohio State men’s volleyball team split a weekend series with Quincy and Lindenwood. Credit: Katie Good | Asst. Photo Editor
The No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes (11-5) come back from a split weekend after facing Quincy and Lindenwood.
The Buckeyes faced the Quincy Hawks Friday in a sweep and fought the Lindenwood Lions in a battle of five sets Saturday.
Friday
The Buckeyes won against Quincy University, highlighting the team’s abilities for a clean sweep.
The match began with five consecutive points made by the Buckeyes, and it was through a three-point run where the Hawks started chipping away at the deficit to make it 12-10.
But a subsequent Buckeye run forced the Hawks into a timeout at 15-10. The Hawks would only be able to get five more points while the Buckeyes continued with the lead, gaining seven more points 22-15.
Through a Hawks attack error, the Hawks took their last set timeout at point 22 for the Buckeyes, and the set point was won through a kill by sophomore middle blocker Cole Young won the set for Ohio State 25-16.
The second set began differently, with the Hawks beginning to gain momentum and power after tying with the Buckeyes five times.
The Buckeyes then went into a five-point run, forcing the Hawks into a timeout, 14-8.
Once the Buckeyes obtained the lead, they held onto it throughout the entirety of the set, as the lead grew and the Buckeyes left the Hawks behind, ending the set the same as the first , 25-16.
During the third set, the Hawks put up a greater fight than earlier in the match. While the Buckeyes started out with the lead, the Hawks were very close behind.
However, at point 10, the Buckeyes started to take off, quickly leaving the Hawks with a larger gap than before, and the Hawks took a timeout after a service ace from freshman outside Jack O’Riordan to make it 16-9.
While the Buckeyes maintained the lead, the Hawks used the opportunity to gain point runs, their largest being a four-point run.
The Hawks, though, could not catch up as much as they needed in order to tie the set, and the Buckeyes won the set and match through a kill by sophomore outside Kyle Teune.
Teune led the Buckeyes with a total of 12 kills throughout the match. Junior setter Noah Platfoot and redshirt junior setter Michael Wright had 24 and seven assists, respectively.
Saturday
The Buckeyes continued the weekend up against the Lindenwood Lions, and the first set started with a Buckeye lead of four.
The Lions were close behind and were able to tie the set at point six through a Buckeye attack error.
By the media timeout, the Lions were ahead of the Buckeyes 15-13. The Lions lead grew as the Buckeyes fell behind, taking a timeout at 20-16. Afterward, the Buckeyes only gained one point before they took their last timeout after a three-point run from the Lions won them the set 25-19.
The Buckeyes picked up more momentum during the second set, beginning with a 5-1 lead. The set saw 10 ties, with the teams battling for control.
After two attack errors by the Lions, the Buckeyes took the second set, 25-23.
The Buckeyes continued to use this momentum throughout the third set. The set began with a Lion lead of three points, which was short-lived when the Buckeyes tied at the same point.
Both teams tied again at point five before each began to take the lead by two points, respectively.
The Buckeyes regained their lead through a four-point lead, forcing the Lions into a timeout at 13-9.
Ohio State continued to maintain the lead at 19-13, as the Lions took their second timeout of the set. Yet, that was for naught, as a kill from freshman opposite hitter Shane Wetzel ended the second set 25-16 in favor of the Buckeyes.
The fourth set showcased an equal battle for both teams, as they tied a total of 11 times. By point 13, the Lions took the lead right before a media timeout was called and continued to maintain that lead at 18-15, forcing the Buckeyes into a timeout.
However, Ohio State managed to gain a three-point run through a service and attack error from the Lions and an O’Riordan kill. The Lions then reached set point, but a service error would give the Buckeyes a chance to gain two more points, but a kill saw the Lions take the fourth set by a score of 25-22.
The race to 15 in the final set began with tying the set for the first three points. The Buckeyes maintained the lead all the way to 9-8, after the Lions gained four points, before taking a timeout.
After tying at point 10, the Buckeyes gained two points through redshirt junior middle blocker Justin Howard and a Lion attack error before the Lions called for a timeout.
The Lions tied the set at 14 through a kill, forcing the set to go from 15 points to whomever could get a two point lead.
Both teams tied all the way up to point 20 in an intense battle of back and forth. Eventually, the Lions won the set and the match through a kill, leaving the Buckeyes behind at a loss, 22-20.
Junior outside Jacob Pasteur and Wetzel provided the team with a total of 25 and 13 kills, respectively. Pasteur, Wetzel and Platfoot contributed 17, 11 and 10 digs, respectively. O’Riordan and Pasteur would have a total of 32 and 33 reception attempts, respectively.
The Buckeyes will come back to the Covelli Center next Saturday at 4 p.m. as they face Charleston.
