Women’s Volleyball Advances to Buckeye Invitational Championship – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/9/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 9, 2000
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State (5-0) women’s volleyball team advanced to the championship match of the Buckeye Invitational with a 3-1 (15-12, 15-7, 11-15, 15-7) victory over Toledo (2-2). The Buckeyes face Illinois State (3-1), a 3-0 (15-12, 15-12, 15-5) winner over Kentucky (1-4). The 2 p.m. championship match will follow the noon third place match between Toledo and Kentucky. Buckeye Shelly Draeger (So., Milwaukee, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) scored a career-high 20 kills to lead OSU’s offense. Dana Stearns (Sr., Bexley, Ohio/Bexley) tied her career-high of 17 kills in the match with Suzie Stiling (So., Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) adding 10 for the Buckeyes. Bitsy Mayhle had a team-high 13 kills for the Rockets with Becky Radomski, Heidi Neumeister and Lindsey Kretzmann adding 10 each.
Ohio State trailed 9-2 in game one but came back to tie the game at 11with a Draeger kills. An OSU error tied the game at 12. A kill by Stearns, a Toledo error and a kill by Virtue closed the game at 15-12. The Buckeyes opened a 10-5 lead in game two and continued strong in taking the game 15-7. The Buckeyes opened a 4-0 lead in game three, but Toledo tied it at five. The Rockets went ahead 8-5 with OSU coming back to tie the game at eight. OSU held a 9-8 lead before three consecutive Toledo points gave the Rockets an 11-9 lead. Toledo held on to take a 15-11 win in the game. The Buckeyes opened up an 8-0 lead in game four and held that margin at the end winning 15-7.
For the match Ohio State hit .255 with 72 kills to the Rockets’ .110 and 53 kills. The Buckeyes had a 14-8 advantage in blocks with Stearns collecting seven (one solo, six assists). OSU edged Toledo in digs, 55-48 with OSU’s Anne Botica (Jr., Windsor, Ont./St. Joseph) and Toledo’s Mayhle sharing a match-high 13. Toledo did have an 8-5 margin in ace serves with Radomski serving up a match-high four aces.
Buckeye Invitational Semifinal Results
Illinois State def. Kentucky 3-0 (15-12, 15-12, 15-5) Ohio State def. Toledo 3-1 (15-12, 15-7, 11-15, 15-7)
Third Place Match, Noon, Sunday, Sept. 10
Kentucky (1-4) vs. Toledo (2-2)
Championship Match, 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 10
Ohio State (5-0) vs. Illinois State (3-1)
