MATCH STATS
- No. 13 BYU def. No. 22 Ohio State (19-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-17)
- BYU moves to 3-0; Ohio State drops to 2-1
- BYU Nike Invitational, Provo, Utah
- Box Score
- VolleyMob Rankings
PROVO, Utah – BYU rebounded from a sluggish opening set to defeat the Ohio State Buckeyes in four. The Cougars, playing without injured junior outside Lacy Haddock, were led by junior outside Veronica Jones-Perry, who recorded 20 kills. Other key players in the victory included junior setter, Lyndie Haddock, who notched 46 assists, and senior middle blocker, Cosy Burnett, who contributed eight kills and four blocks.
For the Buckeyes, sophomore middle Madison Smeathers led all Ohio State scorers with 16.5 points. The visitors also received significant contributions from two freshmen: middle blocker Lauren Witte, who had eight kills and four blocks, and libero Hannah Gruensfelder, who tallied 27 digs. Both earned a place on the BYU Nike Invitational all-tournament team.
In set one, both teams struggled to create separation until a series of spectacular digs by Buckeye defensive specialist Kalisha Goree helped the visitors to a three-point cushion at 17-14, a lead they would never relinquish.
In the second, an ace by BYU’s Mary Lake made it 6-3 early and a huge dig by the libero several points later would extend the lead to 11-5. The Buckeyes would close it to 13-9, but BYU had gained momentum they would not let up through the remainder of the match.
Next up, BYU travels to Idaho for the Boise State Classic, where their opposition will include No. 18 Missouri. The Buckeyes play host to the 13th Annual Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic, where they will face Lipscomb, Oakland and Missouri State (RV).
BYU Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team
- Lyndie Haddock, setter, BYU (MVP)
- Veronica Jones-Perry, outside, BYU
- McKenna Miller, outside, BYU
- Hannah Gruensfelder, libero, Ohio State
- Lauren Witte, middle blocker, Ohio State
- Ragni Steen Knudsen, outside, Texas-Rio Grande Valley
- Lauren Leverenz, middle blocker, Saint Louis
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy: BYU Athletics
PROVO, Utah — Lyndie Haddock, named most valuable player of the BYU Nike Invitational, led No. 10 BYU women’s volleyball to a win over No. 21 Ohio State in four sets (19-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-17) Saturday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.
“I thought we were really poised after the first set,” head coach Heather Olmstead said. “Everybody did their job. I thought we played scrappy defense and Lyndie did her job setting up the offense perfectly.”
After dropping the first set, the Cougars (3-0) won the next three to give them the victory over the Buckeyes (2-1). Haddock recorded 46 assists, eight digs and three kills in the win. Junior Veronica Jones-Perry tied her career-high 20 kills and sophomore Mary Lake had a season-high 24 digs in the match.
The first set was evenly matched in the beginning as both teams took turns adding points to the scoreboard. After being tied at 13, the Buckeyes took control and extended their lead by as many as five points at 20-15. Two kills by McKenna Miller cut Ohio State’s lead to 22-19, but the Buckeyes went on to take set one, winning 25-19.
An impressive dig by Lake kept the Cougars in play in the second set, as they took an early 5-3 lead. Lake’s serving ace and a kill by Jones-Perry put BYU ahead 7-3. A kill by Haddock extended the Cougars’ lead to 11-5. Ohio State was able to cut the deficit down to four points on multiple occasions, but BYU stayed in control, earning a 25-17 win.
In the third set, the Cougars quickly put themselves on top with a 5-1 lead. The Buckeyes answered back with a 7-3 run, tying the game at eight apiece. Jones-Perry’s 11th kill of the game put BYU ahead 19-17. A couple of good plays by Cosy Burnett helped the Cougars extend their lead, and then an ace by Jones-Perry ended the set at 25-18, giving BYU the 2-1 set advantage.
BYU had another quick start in the fourth set, leading the Buckeyes 8-3 after a Burnett kill. A team effort helped extend the lead to 14-7 for the Cougars. A pair of kills by Jones-Perry put BYU ahead by a dominant nine points. BYU took an impressive 21-10 lead after another kill by Jones-Perry. Ohio State went on a four-point run before giving the Cougars the 25-17 win after a service error.
Courtesy: Ohio State Athletics
PROVO, Utah – The No. 21 Ohio State University women’s volleyball team tasted defeated for the first time in 2017, dropping a four-set affair at No. 10 BYU (19-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-17).
Despite a valiant effort from freshman Hannah Gruensfelder and her whopping 27 digs, the Buckeyes couldn’t capitalize on a victorious opening set. Gruensfedler averaged nearly seven digs per set against the host Cougars and 4.73 digs/set for the weekend to earn all-tournament honors, joined by fellow freshman Lauren Witte on the prestigious list. Witte attacked .460 and posted .127 blocks per set.
Madison Smeathers excelled in the event’s title match, responsible for 13 kills and six blocks. Keeping with the underclassman flavor, freshman Ayanna Swan capitalized on her first extensive action by terminating five of eight errorless attempts.
Taylor Hughes continued to cover the stat sheet, recording 36 assists, a team-high seven blocks, seven digs and five kills.
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