Ohio State Sweeps Michigan in Sold-Out Midweek Match
The Buckeyes also swept the season’s series against the Wolverines.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (14-5, 10-1 B1G) earned the sweep (25-17, 25-21, 25-23) RV Michigan (13-8, 4-7 B1G) on Wednesday evening inside the Covelli Center in front of another sold-out crowd.
Ohio State took the lead to begin the first set and did not trail, cruising to a 25-17 set win despite a late Michigan push. The Buckeyes took the second set by a 25-21 margin and did not trail, though the Wolverines tied the set five times. OSU completed the sweep with a 25-23 win on a successful challenge.
How it Happened
Ohio State opened scoring on a Michigan serving error and earned the first three points. The Buckeyes used early 3-0 and 4-0 runs to take a 10-4 lead, forcing a Wolverines timeout. OSU built its lead to 15-6 to force a second Michigan timeout. The Buckeyes continued a 5-0 run to extend the lead to 17-6 out of the timeout. The Wolverines put together their longest run of the set (4-0) to force a Buckeyes timeout with OSU leading by a 23-15 margin. Ohio State closed a 25-17 set win with a kill from Gabby Gonzales.
The Buckeyes opened the second set with the first three points. Ohio State doubled up on Michigan at 8-4, but the Wolverines tied the match at eight with a 4-0 run. Michigan tied the set again at nine and 11. OSU responded with a 3-0 run and led by a 15-13 mark at the media timeout. The set was tied at 16 and 17 before back-to-back Buckeye points forced a Wolverines timeout. Michigan took a second timeout with Ohio State leading 22-19 after back-to-back kills from Emily Londot. The Buckeyes earned the 25-21 set win on a kill from Jenaisya Moore.
Michigan scored the first two points in the third set for its first lead of the match and took the early 7-2 advantage to force an Ohio State timeout. The Wolverines maintained the five-point advantage at 11-6 before the Buckeyes were able to cut the deficit to two points at 12-10 and then tie the set at 14 and 15. OSU took its first lead of the set at 16-15 on a Michigan error. The Wolverines used a 3-0 to take a 19-17 advantage and stretched it to 21-18, forcing a Buckeyes timeout. OSU got it within one at 21-20 but found themselves down 23-21. The Buckeyes closed the set with four-unanswered points and won on a successful challenge.
Highlights
S1: Kylie Murr dig
S1: Set point
S2: Kylie Murr ace
S2: Rylee Rader kill
S2: Set point
S3: Gabby Gonzales/Adria Powell block
S3: Rylee Rader kill
S3: Celebration
Match Notes
- Ohio State swept the series against Michigan this season after winning a four-set match in Ann Arbor at the end of September, improving its win streak against the Wolverines to six-straight matches.
- This is the Buckeyes’ seventh sweep of the season, the fifth against a Big Ten opponent.
- OSU tied its season-low two service errors, previously set in the Oct. 15 match against Rutgers.
- Emily Londot was the first to 10 kills in the match, recording at least 10 kills for the 16th time this season (13 tonight). She added 12 digs for her eighth double-double of the season, reaching 10 digs for the eighth time as well.
- Jenaisya Moore reached 10 kills for the 13th time this season, totaling 12 kills tonight.
- Kylie Murr recorded at least 10 digs for the 18th time this season, finishing with 12.
- Gabby Gonzales reached 10 kills for the 12th time this season as she totaled 10 kills.
- Gonzales also recorded her 800th career dig and her 100th career block.
- Mac Podraza surpassed 3,400th career assists, as she sits sixth on the program’s all-time assist list.
- Sarah Sue finished with 10 digs for the fourth time this season.
- This is Murr’s third match of the season with more than one ace.
- Three different Buckeyes had a service ace – Murr, Gabby Gonzales and Londot.
- Set one: Ohio State’s defense forced Michigan to hit just .077 in the set.
- Set two: Despite being tied five times, Ohio State did not surrender the lead.
- Set three: The Buckeyes trailed most of the set, including at 21-18 before scoring seven of the final nine points.
What They Said
Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg: “[The seniors] finished the series on a really big note against a good team, so yeah, it means a lot. It means a lot when this is a team that everyone wants to beat across campus. It’s always ‘team up north week’. All that kind of stuff makes it fun. To see the seniors go out with a bang like that – it’s pretty special.”
Opposite Emily Londot: “I wasn’t sure [if the final kill was in bounds]. But my teammates had my back and they knew it was in bounds so they said ‘get that card out’. We are always encouraged to take big swings in tight games and I think that’s what I did. If it was out, the next point we’d all try the best that we could.”
Up Next
Ohio State is on the road this weekend for a Saturday match at No. 11 Penn State. The match will be broadcast on BTN.