Men’s Volleyball: Buckeyes hit the road for two ranked matchups

Sara Sharp
Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:59:35 +0000
Instagram Page, News, Sports, Volleyball, Aaron Grimm, Ben Putnam, Buckeyes, buckeyes men’s volleyball, Cole Young, Daniel Hurley, Grant Strong, Hudson Bates, Hudson Harris, Jack O’Riordan, Jacob Pasteur, Justin Howard, kevin burch, Kristian Kold, Kyle Teune, Luke Wood Maloney, Megan Anderson, men's volleyball, michael wright, Nate Wilson, Nathan Habermas, Noah Platfoot, ohio state, Ohio state men's volleyball, Ohio State volleyball, Owen Pickering, Shane Wetzel, Thomas Leahey [and 3 more]

Second-year outside hitter Daniel Hurley (9) spikes the ball during Ohio State’s 3-1 loss to Penn State. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor

Ohio State heads to Illinois on Wednesday for what should be two competitive matchups.?

The No. 6 Buckeyes (7-2, 1-0 MIVA) will face two top-15 conference opponents in No. 14 Lewis (7-3, 2-0 MIVA) on Wednesday and No. 11 Loyola Chicago (5-6, 0-1 MIVA) on Friday.

Lewis currently sits in the No. 2 spot of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association rankings, just a slot behind the defending MIVA regular-season and tournament champions, Ohio State.

The Buckeyes defeated Lindenwood in four sets Sunday at the Covelli Center in Columbus, making them? 1-0 in MIVA play.?

Cole Young, a junior middle blocker for Ohio State, said the team is feeling confident heading into this week’s matchups after their win against the Lions Sunday.?

“They’re two solid teams. It’s kind of anyone’s game right now,” Young said. “We’re really looking to dial things in here and make a statement.”?

Ohio State’s first game against Lewis will take place at Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville, Illinois. The Flyers are 2-0 in MIVA matchups this season with victories over Lindenwood and McKendree.?

The Lewis offense is led by junior outside hitter Max Roquet, who has tagged 111 kills this season and is ranked No. 6 in the MIVA in kills per set with 3.46. The Flyers’ junior setter Tyler Morgan is ranked No. 10 nationally in assists per set, bringing in 9.65 per game, and redshirt-senior opposite hitter Christian Prayer is ranked No. 2 in aces per set with .844.?

On the defensive side, sophomore libero Nico Paula leads Lewis with 77 digs and an average of 2.48 per set, which places him at No. 5 in the nation. The Flyers most recently defeated McKendree on Friday in four sets.?

Two days after its Lewis matchup, Ohio State will face Loyola Chicago at Gentile Arena in Chicago.?

Redshirt-junior outside hitter Parker Van Buren leads the Ramblers’ offense with 124 kills and is ranked No. 5 nationally at four per set. Van Buren received MIVA Player of the Week honors on Jan. 30 after tallying 28 kills in wins over Long Island and then-No. 16 George Mason.?

Sophomore setter Ryan McElligott facilitates the team and sits at 255 assists for the season while redshirt-junior libero Matt Oakley leads the defense with 60 digs.?

The Ramblers dropped their most recent game against No. 11 Ball State on Thursday. They’ll have a chance to rebound as they play No. 20 Purdue on Tuesday before their matchup against the Buckeyes.?

Ohio State redshirt-freshman hitter Daniel Hurley said the team is excited for the upcoming matches.?

“We’re stoked to play two ranked MIVA opponents,” Hurley said. “It was great starting conference play here, but hitting the road is an exciting endeavor.”?

Both games will begin at 8 p.m.?There is not yet a streaming platform announcement for Wednesday’s matchup against Lewis, however, Friday’s game against Loyola Chicago will be streamed on ESPN Plus.