Ohio State
19-5, 8-4
Penn State
21-2, 10-2
Nittany Lions Nip Ohio State in Four Sets – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 30, 2015
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 11 Ohio State University women’s volleyball team (19-5, 8-4 Big Ten) suffered a four-set defeat on the road at No. 3 Penn State (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten). Ohio State extended the match into a fourth frame after capturing the third set, 25-19. The Nittany Lions then closed it out, 25-14, in the final set (25-15, 25-16, 19-25, 25-14).
Three different Buckeyes reached double-digit kills, paced by Audra Appold’s 15 kills at a .333 attacking pace (15-3-36). Elizabeth Campbell and Taylor Sandbothe added a combined 22 kills. Sandbothe attacked .474 and threw up four blocks. Luisa Schirmer led the way in the defensive backcourt and at the service line, accumulating 11 digs and two aces on the night.
Nearly half of Schirmer’s digs came in the opening set, picking up five balls right off the bat. The advantage flip-flopped back and forth at a feverish pace early on with four lead changes through the first 11 points. After a Taylor Hughes kill evened the tally at 6-6, Penn State ripped off the next four points and remained on top the remainder of the 25-15 winner.
Following a second set which ended in a similar ledger favoring PSU (25-16), the Buckeyes got the offense rolling in the third frame. Appold and Sandbothe each contributed five kills, putting away the 10 kills on just 17 attempts with a lone error. Ohio State performed at a high level defensively as well, limiting the Lions to a .147 hitting percentage on the strength of five Buckeye blocks and 13 digs.
Penn State’s Haleigh Washington misfired on an attack sent out of bounds at 13-13, opening the door for the Buckeyes to pull ahead for good. The subsequent point ended on a Sandbothe and Kylie Randall block to force a PSU timeout. The break in action did little to alter Ohio State’s upward trend towards 25 points. Appold would ultimately seal the deal with a kill for the clinching 25th point.
Needing to grab set number four as well, Ohio State ran into a buzz saw. The Nittany Lions swung .500 and bounced 15 kills. Four different PSU players chipped in three kills and Penn State closed it out, 25-14.
The Scarlet & Gray continue life away from home next weekend, making an east coast sweep through Maryland (Nov. 6) and Rutgers (Nov. 7).
