The No. 1 Ohio State University men’s volleyball team returns to the court Tuesday (Jan. 10) night at 7 p.m. ET, playing host to No. 11 George Mason (2-0) in a midweek, non-conference tilt against the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association’s defending champion and preseason favorites.
The match will serve as a rematch of the 2016 NCAA Tournament play-in match which the Buckeyes arose victories in four sets to begin their championship run in Happy Valley.
Tuesday, Jan. 10 – Columbus, Ohio (St. John Arena)
7 p.m. ET – #1 Ohio State (2-0) vs. #11 George Mason (2-0)
Live Stats: GameTracker
Video Stream: BTN Plus
RACKING UP THE WINS
The Buckeyes own a 25-match winning streak entering Tuesday’scontest, a stretch which dates back to Feb. 6, 2016. Ohio State has won 75 of 93 sets during the run.
START WITH A BANG
Ohio State opened the 2017 campaign hosting the AVCA Showcase last weekend (Jan. 6-7). The event, which also served as the 2017 Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, concluded when the top-ranked Buckeyes defeated No. 2 UCLA in four sets Saturdayevening. Ohio State also picked up a four-set triumph over USC the night before to help secure a 3-1 overall win for the Big Ten as Penn State split its pair of matches vs. the west coast foes.
HISTORY WITH THE PATRIOTS
The Buckeyes hold a 30-25 advantage in the all-time series versus George Mason, including wins in each of the last 14 meetings. St. John Arena has seen Ohio State win 17 of 20 meetings in Columbus. OSU last suffered a loss to the Patriots in 2009.
NEXT UP
Ohio State flies out to Palo Alto, Calif., for a pair of tilts with No. 10 Stanford (3-0) this weekend (Jan. 13-14). Both contests vs. The Cardinal are slated for 10 p.m. ET starts.
PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATION
Ohio State began its national title defense slotted as the top-ranked team in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll after receiving 23 of 24 first-place votes (the other going to UCLA). Three Buckeyes were chosen as Preseason All-Americans by Off the Block’s 26-member voting committee comprised of head coaches and volleyball reporters from around the country. Miles Johnson and Nicolas Szerszen garnered First Team recognition while Christy Blough was selected for the Second Team.
MIVA FAVORITES
League coaches voted Ohio State as favorites to win the 2017 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association championship. The Buckeyes own the most MIVA titles all-time, capturing their 25th regular season crown and 15th MIVA Tournament championship last season. The MIVA coaching crew also tabbed Nicolas Szerszen as the Preseason Player of the Year; joined by Christy Blough, Gabriel Domecus and Miles Johnson on the Preseason All-MIVA squad.
COLUMBUS – VOLLEYBALL CAPITAL OF THE MIDWEST
Ohio’s capital city has laid claim to the title of ‘Volleyball Capital of the Midwest,’ becoming the first site in NCAA history to host both the women’s and men’s collegiate national championship in the same academic year in addition to a long history of hosting amatuer volleyball events. The NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship was held Dec. 15-17, 2016 downtown at Nationwide Arena with the men’s trophy being awarded May 4-6, 2017 inside St. John Arena.
News courtesy of Ohio State Athletics.
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