Middle blocker Aneta Valentová (21) prepares to spike the ball. Ohio State fell to Minnesota 3-0 on Oct. 11, 2026. Credit: Rachel Klancher | Freelance Photographer.
Freshman middle blocker Aneta Valentová kept looking for empty space.
When Minnesota’s block leaned toward the line Sunday, she attacked across the court. When the Golden Gophers adjusted, Valentová adjusted with them.
Ohio State tried to do much the same.
Two days after a straight-set loss to Washington left head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg questioning the Buckeyes’ competitiveness, Ohio State returned against Minnesota searching for a better response, even if the result was another sweep.
“I usually saw that there was only one person blocking me,” Valentová said. “At first, they were going to more blocking lines, so I had [an] open cross, so I was hitting that spot.”
Valentová finished with five kills against Minnesota, hitting .364. She did that after recording two kills while hitting .111 in Friday’s loss to Washington.
Despite dropping 3-0 sets to No. 20 Washington Friday and No. 21 Minnesota Sunday, Oldenburg said the difference between the two matches extended beyond any individual stat line.
For Oldenburg, Friday’s performance was bothersome because she felt the Buckeyes never showed the competitiveness they needed when facing Washington.
“We knew all those things, and we just backed off,” Oldenburg said. “I think that was frustrating for all of us, is that I just don’t know that we showed anything on Friday night except that we showed up in jerseys.”
However, Ohio State had little time to dwell on the loss with Minnesota coming to Columbus two days later.
Valentová said the Buckeyes’ conversations between matches centered on improving their first contact, beginning with passing and extending to digs and free balls.
“The first thing we pointed out was passing, definitely, because that’s the first contact,” Valentová said. “We knew that we needed to work on that in order to get ourselves going.”
Oldenburg saw a different response Sunday.
Although Ohio State again left the Covelli Center without a set victory, Oldenburg said the Buckeyes showed more of what she expects from the group.
“I think the response today is hopeful,” Oldenburg said. “Not the result we wanted, but we battled against a team that is also good.”
Valentová was part of that response.
The freshman found success, particularly on the slide, reading Minnesota’s block and adjusting where she placed the ball as the match progressed.
“They moved a little bit more to the cross, but it still wasn’t too much,” Valentová said. “So I had the space.”
The next step is turning those stretches of improved play into finished sets.
Oldenburg said Ohio State had opportunities against Minnesota but struggled to execute once the score moved beyond 20 points.
“We talk about [how] the details matter because they repeat,” Oldenburg said. “How great can we be as we move forward with those details? Because it’s going to repeat itself regardless of that opponent.”
