Women’s Volleyball: No. 9 Ohio State looks to rebound with wins over Michigan and Michigan State

Morgan Harrison
Fri, 29 Oct 2021 00:22:07 +0000
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Ohio State middle blocker Arica Davis (14) celebrates after scoring a point during the Ohio State-Indiana game Sept. 29. Ohio State won 3-0. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Asst. Photo Editor

The No. 9 Ohio State women’s volleyball team hopes to rebound from its two consecutive losses with wins over Michigan and Michigan State Friday and Sunday, respectively.?

Ohio State (16-4) lost two matches on the road with a 3-1 loss to No. 3 Wisconsin Oct. 22 and a 3-1 loss to No. 12 Minnesota Sunday. The Buckeyes are 6-4 in the Big Ten conference standings, which has them tied for fifth place with Purdue and Illinois.?

The Buckeyes hit the road to play the Michigan Wolverines at 7 p.m. in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Friday. The Wolverines enter Friday’s match with a 12-7 overall record and are ninth in the Big Ten standings with a 5-5 record.?

Ohio State leads the all-time series 53-29 against Michigan and holds a 16-15 record when facing the Wolverines in Ann Arbor. However, Michigan owns the most recent three matches when facing the Buckeyes on its home court.

Ohio State swept the Wolverines Oct. 10 in front of a record-breaking crowd inside the Covelli Center. The Buckeyes led Michigan in every category, including doubling Michigan in total blocks. Sophomore opposite hitter Emily Londot had a stellar game against Michigan, getting a double-double in kills and digs.?

Michigan had the most production on its pins with sophomore outside hitter Jess Mruzik getting 11 kills and junior opposite hitter May Pertofsky — who had a .250 hitting percentage — getting six kills.

The Buckeyes return home to play the Michigan State Spartans at 1 p.m. in the Covelli Center Sunday. Michigan State enters the weekend with a 9-10 overall record and is 10th in the Big Ten standings with a 2-8 record. However, the Spartans head into the Sunday matchup with a win against a ranked opponent after beating then-No. 7 Purdue in five sets Oct. 20.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 50-34 against Michigan State after sweeping the Spartans Oct. 8 in East Lansing, Michigan. The Buckeyes hold a 27-10 record when playing Michigan State in Columbus.?

In the teams’ last meeting, Ohio State doubled Michigan State in aces and nearly doubled the Spartans in digs. Sophomore middle hitter Rylee Rader led Ohio State in hitting percentage with eight kills on nine attempts hitting .778, while Londot led the Buckeyes in kills with 15.??

Michigan State had production from its outside hitters with junior Cecilee Max-Brown and sophomore Sarah Franklin both getting 10 kills. Junior middle hitter Emma Monks also made an impact at the net with five blocks.?

Both matches will be broadcast live on B1G+ with a subscription.