Men’s volleyball: Sloppy first set and tough opponent leads to second loss of the season for Ohio State

Nicholas McWilliams
Wed, 29 Mar 2017 03:33:13 +0000
Sports, Volleyball, Buckeyes, Christy Blough, men's volleyball, ohio state

OSU then-redshirt sophomore middle blocker Matt Dorn (15) prepares to hits the ball during a game against George Mason at St John Arena on Jan. 15. Credit: Lantern file photo

For the first time since 2015, the Ohio State men’s volleyball team lost in an opponent’s home gym. In Tuesday’s showdown between the No. 1 Buckeyes and No. 13 Penn State, it was the Nittany Lions who had the last laugh.

In five sets, Penn State topped OSU. After 11 unforced errors by the Buckeyes in the first set, it was a constant uphill battle for the Scarlet and Gray.

After closing out the first set 25-21, Penn State was pushed back by OSU, as the Buckeyes leaned on senior setter Christy Blough, who assisted on 14 kills and picked up one of his own. In the end, OSU dominated the set 25-14.

However, the Nittany Lions regained all the momentum, stunning the Buckeyes with a 25-15 tally at the end of the third set. OSU battled back and won the fourth with a 25-22, and forcing a fifth set.

A short scoring streak at the end of the final frame by Penn State ultimately pushed the Nittany Lions ahead, clinching their 15th win of the season. After 20-straight road wins, Penn State proved to be too much.

OSU returns to Columbus for a homestand against McKendree University on March 31 and April 2, with both games set for 7 p.m.