Press Release courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
Ohio State begins its four-match homestand with a tough midweek outing versus Big Ten foe No. 5 Minnesota Wednesday night. First serve in St. John Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. The match will be live on the Big Ten Network.
AT A GLANCE
Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 8 p.m. ET | Columbus, Ohio | St. John Arena
Ohio State (11-8, 4-4 B1G) vs. Minnesota (17-2, 6-2 B1G)
Live Stats | Live Stream ($) | TV: BTN
HISTORY WITH THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Ohio State and Minnesota have battled on the hardwood 77 times since 1978 with the Gophers claiming 43 wins. The Buckeyes have dropped the last three matches of the series, including a pair on the road. When the two teams met last season, Ohio State lost a four-set decision in Minneapolis.
BUCKEYES IN THE B1G
Hannah Gruensfelder bumped her average to 4.74 digs per set, which is tied for second in the league. Taylor Hughes is also representing the Buckeyes with 10.27 assists per set (11th) while Lauren Witte averages 1.03 blocks per set (12th) and has a .363 hitting percentage (9th). As a team, Ohio State stands fourth in digs per set (15.22).
CARLSTON APPROACHING 400 WINS
Head coach Geoff Carlston has been in charge of three programs during his 18-year career, having spent the last 10 seasons at the helm for Ohio State. Carlston’s amassed 397 career wins and is on track to check off No. 400 this season.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Gophers are currently riding a five-match win streak, including a trio of victories over ranked Big Ten opponents. Minnesota owns a 17-2 overall mark and 6-2 conference record for third in the Big Ten. The squad’s only road loss of the season came at Nebraska (Sept. 29).
Minnesota leads the conference with 16.12 digs per set while coming in second in assists per set (13.62) and third in kills per set (14.42). Samantha Seliger-Swenson tops the league thanks to 12.22 assists per set.
CAREER WATCH: TAYLOR HUGHES
Junior setter Taylor Hughes currently ranks eighth in program history with 2,929 assists. Her 43 helpers at Michigan (Sept. 29) got her ahead of Amanda Peterson (‘09-’12), who has 2,755 assists.
NATIONAL TELEVISION EXPOSURE
Wednesday’s match vs. Minnesota is one of five Buckeye matches televised on national television this season. Ohio State will be featured on ESPNU when Michigan comes to St. John Arena on Oct. 22.
LAST TIME OUT
Ohio State earned a 3-0 win at Northwestern on Saturday night at McGrath-Phillips Arena. The Buckeyes claimed a 25-13, 25-18, 25-15 sweep as they outscored the Wildcats by 29 points. OSU smothered Northwestern’s offense as it limited the Wildcats to a .074 attacking percentage. Ashley Wenz paced the offense for the third straight match, this time with 11 kills. Taylor Hughes tallied a match-high 29 assists, five blocks, three aces and hit .800 (4-0-5). Lauren Witte connected on seven of 12 swings with two errors for a .417 clip and paired it with four rejections. Luisa Schirmer chipped in eight kills while Ana Beatriz Franklin (5) and Madison Smeathers (4) also got in on the offensive attack. Hannah Gruensfelder added a match-best 15 digs, followed by Wenz and Schirmer with seven apiece.
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