Ohio State
12-7, 2-5Big Ten
Nebraska
15-1, 6-1Big Ten
Season Series Split as Huskers Drop Ohio State
10/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 14, 2016
RELATED INFO
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 19 Ohio State University women’s volleyball team fell in a four-set affair as the second-ranked Huskers (15-1, 6-1 Big Ten) avenged a loss handed to them earlier season (Oct. 1) by Ohio State in Lincoln. The Buckeyes (12-7, 2-5 Big Ten) went toe-to-toe with Nebraska, pushing the defending national champions to a 27-25 fourth frame (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 27-25).
Taylor Sandbothe erased a three-error start to her night by attacking .347 for the remainder of the evening. She racked up 24.5 points by night’s end, crushing 19 kills, seven blocks (2s, 5a) and a service ace. Fellow middle, Madison Smeathers, was effective in her 17 attempts – putting away eight kills at a .353 attacking rate.
Valeria León continued her campaign to become Ohio State’s all-time digs queen. The Buckeye libero dug 16 balls and is now 20 digs from surpassing record-holder Stacey Gordon (1,572 digs; 2001-04). León lifted her career digs average to 3.46 per set, overtaking sole possession of the top slot in school history (Chelsea Noble – 3.45/set; 2008-09). Taylor Hughes and Luisa Schirmer each posted 13 digs against the Huskers.
SET 1: Ohio State grabbed three of the first four points before a seven-point Husker run pushed Nebraska ahead 8-3. While the margin stretched to eight tallies at 14-6, the Buckeyes brought it back to five in a 25-20 tally.
SET 2: The Huskers strung together another seven-point spurt, spoiling a two-point OSU edge once again. The Buckeyes sat on top, 9-7, following a kill by Brooke Bailey when Nebraska did it again with the second extended victorious stretch. An identical final tally of 25-20 came to fruition as well.
SET 3: Sandbothe came alive in the third, bombing nine kills on 16 errorless swings (.562) and getting in on three block assists. She carried the Buckeyes to a 13-8 lead and forced Nebraska to burn both timeouts following Sandbothe stuffs at 5-3 and 13-8. Ohio State tacked on two more to go ahead 15-8, but the Huskers wouldn’t go away quietly. Nebraska battled back to even the score at 23-23 when Sandbothe had enough and ripped her ninth kill of the set, handing the ball to Schrimer serving on set point. ‘LuLu’ delivered a laser, acing the Huskers for a 25-23 clincher.
SET 4: Both squads accumulated matching .333 hitting percentages in the fourth, setting up a tightly-contested affair which included 14 tied scores and five lead changes. Appold and Sandbothe did not commit an error in a combined 27 attempts, resulting in nine kills as both Buckeyes attacked .333 individually as well. Neither side managed to wrangle a lead of more than three until Kadie Rolzen’s kill offered Nebraska a 23-19 upper hand. The next two rallies came to an end thanks to Sandbothe though, sparking a Buckeye comeback to knot the score, 24-24. She would then play a part in denying two Husker match points before Nebraska ultimately closed the door, 27-25.
St. John Arena opens its doors again Saturday night when Ohio State hosted the Iowa Hawkeyes (15-4, 5-2 Big Ten) in a 6 p.m. showdown.
