20th Ranked Women’s Volleyball loses 3-0 to Oregon – Ohio State Buckeyes
9/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The 20th-ranked Ohio State (6-3) women’s volleyball team lost a second straight match with a 3-0 (30-17, 30-18, 30-27) loss to Oregon (11-1) in the final match of the Sports Imports Classic in front of 935 fans. In the first match Saturday, fourth-ranked Southern California (10-0) defeated Purdue (7-4), 3-0 (30-17, 30-19, 30-18). Ohio State’s Danielle Meyer (Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio) and Briana McCarthy (Sr., Beaver Dam, Wis.) scored 10 points each for the Buckeyes with both recording eight kills with Meyer adding an ace serve and two assist blocks and McCarthy a solo and two assist blocks. Oregon’s Gorana Maricic recorded a match-high 17 points for the Ducks with 15 kills, an ace serve and two assist blocks.
Oregon broke a two-all tie with a Kristen Forristall kill, a Buckeye error and a Katie Swoboda ace serve to take a 5-3 lead. The Ducks continued to build the team to win the game, 30-17 with a Maricic kill. The Ducks hit .500 for the game to .200 for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State, with a McCarthy-Meyer block and a Duck error, took a 2-0 lead in game two. Oregon came back with four straight points to take a 4-2 lead. After a Kaila Calhoun (Fr., Elkhart, Ind.) kill and a Calhoun-Meyer block tied the game, the Ducks started a 12-2 run to open a 17-6 lead. The Ducks held the lead and won the game, 30-18, with a Sonja Newcombe ace serve. Oregon hit .306 for the game to .129 for Ohio State.
Oregon opened game three with a six-one run. At seven-two, Ohio State scored five points to tie the game at seven. The run began with a Duck error and an Ashley Hughes (So., Carroll, Ohio) ace serve. A kill and block by McCarthy and a Duck error completed the run. At nine-all, three Oregon errors and a Kristen Dozier (So., Sandy Spring, Md.) kill gave Ohio State a 13-9 lead. Trailing, 14-11, Oregon scored the next six points to take a 17-14 lead. The Ducks would hold the lead and win the game, 30-27 with a Heather Meyers kill to win the match. Oregon hit .350 for the game to .114 for Ohio State.
For the match, Oregon hit .377 to .143 for the Buckeyes. The Ducks had a 54-33 edge in kills and an eight to three margin in aces. Defensively, the Ducks had a 45-36 advantage in digs with Oregon’s Swoboada recording a match-high 15. At the net, Oregon had a five to four edge in team blocks. OSU’s McCarthy (a solo, two assists) and Oregon’s Forristall (two solos, one assist) shared match-high honors with three blocks each. At setter, Nevena Djordjevic collected a match-high 30 assists with Rachel Morris adding 16. OSU’s Hughes had 22 assists in the match.
Southern California’s Asia Kaczor was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Sports Imports Classic. Ohio State’s Meyer was named the Best Attacker and teammate Dozier was selected the Best Blocker. Oregon’s Meyers was named the Best Server of the Classic and teammate Swoboda was named the Best Libero.
Ohio State opens play in the Big Ten Conference next Friday when they host Northwestern at 7 p.m. in St. John Arena. The home stand continues Sunday at 2 p.m. when the Buckeyes host Michigan State.
