Match Stats
- #1 Ohio State def. Lindenwood 3-1, (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-16)
- Ohio State improves to 15-0, 6-0 MIVA
- Lindenwood falls to 0-12, 0-7 MIVA
- Hosted by Ohio State
- Match Stats
The Ohio State men’s volleyball squad rolls for a four set victory over Lindenwood to remain undefeated on the season, also expanding their winning streak to 38 straight. To break the all-time winning record, the Buckeye’s would need to win another 10 straight, to take down UCLA’s 47 straight record from 1979-80 and 1983-85.
After being down in the first set 7-8, the Buckeyes strung together a four point run, giving them the momentum to push forward through the set. Though Ohio State held the lead for the set, the Lions tried to make a comeback late in the game, but ultimately fell 25-20 in the first.
The second set was another story, as Lindenwood’s front line proved to be a challenge. The Buckeye’s were stuffed by the lions four time in the second and fell victim to a Lion ace, making the score 5-1 Lindenwood. The early push from the Lions made it hard for the Buckeyes to catch back up dropping the second 22-25.
The third and fourth sets were all Ohio States, as they took and maintained the lead through each, taking down the Lions 25-21 and 25-16 to end the match.
Nicolas Szerszen led the Buckeyes with 15 kills on a .423 hitting percentage, eight digs and three aces. Close behind was Miles Johnson with 14 kills while Driss Guessous put down 10 kills on a .643 hitting percentage. In the back court, Gabriel Domecus swooped up 10 digs.
For Lindenwood, Jake Duckworth slammed down 14 kills and seven digs while Ryan Moore put down seven kills and four blocks.
Press Release
Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
The No. 1 Ohio State University men’s volleyball program tightened its grip on the top spot in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) standings by notching the sixth conference win of the season. Ohio State downed Lindenwood (0-12, 0-7 MIVA) in four sets (25-20, 22-25, 25-21, 25-16) to improve to 15-0 overall and 6-0 in league play. The victory also marked the Buckeyes’ 38th straight dating back to last year.
Nicolas Szerszen did a little bit of everything, pacing the squad with 15 kills and three aces while also chipping in seven digs and two blocks. Driss Guessous also performed at a high level, delivering 10 kills at a .634 attacking clip to go along with three digs, two blocks and an ace. Gabriel Domecus proved to be a key factor in the Buckeye success as well, picking up a match-high 10 digs. Freshman Reese Devilbisstook advantage of his starting nod, connecting on seven kills and digging seven balls.
STREAK SNIPPETS
• Ohio State is riding a 38-match winning streak
• Marks the longest winning streak in OSU Athletics history for teams competing in head-to-head competition
• The Buckeyes last suffered an NCAA loss on February 6, 2016
• Ohio State has won 114 of 136 sets (84%) during the victorious stretch
• The streak includes six wins over Top-5 opponents and nearly half (18) against teams ranked inside the Top-12
• Also included in the streak are 16 straight wins in true road matches
• Loyola owns 40-match run in 2014-15 while UCLA is believed to own the all-time record of 47 straight (1979-80 and 1983-85)
Set 1: Ohio State strung together four straight points, going from down one at 8-7 to in the lead 11-8. The Buckeyes methodically penetrated Lindenwood’s defense, avoiding all blocking efforts and committing zero attack errors on 21 attempts with 14 kills (.667). Christy Blough spread it around evenly, pairing up with four different teammates for three or more terminations. Despite a late Lion push forcing the Buckeyes to burn a timeout at 23-20, Ohio State ultimately came out on top 25-20.
Set 2: Getting past the Lindenwood front line proved much more difficult in set number two. Ohio State was stuffed four times and fell victim to a Lion ace in a flurry ending with the Lions leading 5-1. Lindenwood rejected OSU four more times by set’s end, combining with six Ohio State serving errors to bury the Buckeyes 25-22.
Set 3: The Buckeyes got back on track in the third, surging out an 8-4 edge. That four-point cushion would reappear again 14 times, including a final ledger of 25-21. Blough diplomatically distributed the ball to all angles of the court once again, finding five hitters for multiple kills.
Set 4: Ohio State hosted a block party of their own in the fourth, swatting the Lions a half dozen times. The Buckeyes held Lindenwood to a .185 attack percentage while cruising along at .562 themselves in a 25-16 clincher. Guessous terminated four of five swings and recorded two blocks, one solo stuff, to close the night on a high note.
Grand Canyon University (9-5, 5-1 MIVA) plays host to the Buckeyes for a double dip next week, squaring off in the desert on Friday (Feb. 24) and Sunday (Feb. 26).
Press Release
Courtesy of Lindenwood Atheltics
The Lindenwood men’s volleyball team evened the match at No. 1 Ohio State on Sunday afternoon with a second-set win, but the Buckeyes would go on to win the next frame before running away in the fourth and final game. Ohio State won by the scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-21, and 25-16.
The Lions hit .407 in the first set and .350 in the third, but hit .185 in the even frames to attack at a .277 clip.
The fourth set had six ties, while the first two frames had a total of nine. There were five lead changes on the day, three in the first set and two in the third. During Lindenwood’s set win, the Lions were winning almost the entire way except for one tie.
Jake Duckworth tallied a team-high 14 kills on the day, while attacking at a .310 rate. The senior also led the team with seven digs and 16 points.
Freshman Sam Schindler recorded his fourth-consecutive double-digit point total, and has done so in 11 of the team’s 12 matches this season. The Centerville, Ohio native had a solo block and tallied four assisted blocks to reach 50 for 2017. As a team, the Lions totaled 10 blocks.
Adam Brewster had 37 assists against the No. 1 Buckeyes, for 9.3 per set. The sophomore also had three digs. Ryan Vorderer had one dig in the match, and has at least one in each match this season.
Nathan Van Dellen was second on the team with nine kills, while Connor Hipelius had eight while hitting .500 with two service aces.
The loss sends Lindenwood to 0-12 on the season, and 0-7 in MIVA action. The Lions host No. 11 Ball State for an in-conference match this Friday at 7 p.m. before continuing MIVA play with Fort Wayne coming to St. Charles on Saturday.
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