Women’s Volleyball: Buckeyes beat Spartans thanks to all-around defense

Connor Schuh
Fri, 10 Nov 2023 02:10:52 +0000
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The Ohio State women’s volleyball team huddles after a point during their 3-0 win in straight sets over Northwestern Oct. 25. Credit: Aiden Ridgeway | For The Lantern

The Buckeyes brought out the brooms with a defense-powered victory over Michigan State.?

52 digs and eight blocks kept Ohio State (10-14, 7-8 Big Ten) in business Wednesday at home against a hot Spartan team (16-10, 8-7 Big Ten) that came into the game on a three-game winning streak.?

Ohio State won in straight sets, and every frame was decided by 3 points or less.?

“Our defensive mentality was something that we’ve been working on a lot,” freshman middle blocker Eloise Brandewie said. “It really showed tonight with blocking and digging too.”?

Brandewie picked up two blocks and two digs in the win to go with 10 kills on a .400 hitting percentage.?

The connection between her and fellow freshman Mia Tuman was big in the victory, as Tuman totaled 28 assists on the night, a lot of those going to Brandewie, and 10 digs.?

Tuman, the setter and reigning Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week, said she was happy to see their connection paying dividends on game day.?

“It’s been a lot of time in the gym,” Tuman said. “It’s really nice to see it pay off on the court.”?

Michigan State was one of the better defenses in the Big Ten coming into this game, allowing the third least kills per set in the conference.?

According to Tuman, it was a team effort to overcome the defense of Michigan State.?

“I think staying patient on our side, controlling what we can control, and keep taking big swings,” Tuman said.?

Senior outside hitter Emily Londot finished with another double-double in the win, good for her 12th this season after a 16-kill, 14-dig night.?

“Lonnie’s super stable in passing and defense,” assistant coach Michelle Bartsch-Hackley said. “She’s worked really hard this year, so I’m proud of the role she’s gotten into.”?

The first set was close the whole way, as Michigan State took an early advantage 4-1. Ohio State quickly put out the fire, tying it at 5-5. The Spartans took the lead for a bit longer until the Buckeyes took it back at 11-10, holding onto it for the rest of the set. Michigan State stayed close for the rest of the way, cutting the Buckeye lead to one a couple of times, but Ohio State held off the comeback attempts for a 25-22 win.?

The Spartans started hot in the second again, taking an early 10-2 lead. They held the lead for a long time after, staying alive at 18-17. After that point, the Buckeyes steered the set in their direction, scoring 3 more points in a row to take a 21-18 lead. Michigan State would threaten again, tying it at 24-24 with a kill off the swing of graduate middle blocker Amani McArthur. Ohio State would score the next two to end the match with a solo block off the hands of Londot, winning 26-24.?

The final set started just like the first two, with an early Spartan lead. Michigan State led 11-5 at one point, but that didn’t stop Ohio State from coming back again. The Buckeyes scored seven straight in a run where the Spartans attempted to stifle Ohio State’s offense with two timeouts. The teams traded ties for a while until Ohio State broke through after a 25-25 knot, scoring two straight to seal it.?

“Digging in, trusting our passers and our defense,” Tuman said. “Communication was really good tonight, it helped us stay focused and locked in when we were down.”?

Ohio State is set to hit the road again, traveling to College Park, Maryland, to face Maryland at 1 p.m. Sunday.?