Downtown Columbus Hosts 12th Annual Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic
8/31/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 31, 2016
RELATED INFO
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Downtown Columbus, more specifically Nationwide Arena, is the site of NCAA women’s volleyball action this weekend when Ohio State hosts the 12th annual Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic. The 11th-ranked Buckeyes (3-0) welcome in No. 10 BYU (3-0), LIU Brooklyn (0-3) and Wyoming (1-3) for a round-robin competition featuring six total matches spanning Sept. 2-3.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, September 2
10 a.m. – BYU vs. Wyoming – GameTracker
Noon – Ohio State vs. LIU Brooklyn – GameTracker
5:30 p.m. – BYU vs. LIU Brooklyn – GameTracker
7:30 p.m. – Ohio State vs. Wyoming – GameTracker
Saturday, September 3
3 p.m. – LIU Brooklyn vs Wyoming – GameTracker
7 p.m. – Ohio State vs. BYU – GameTracker
#OSUWVBtribe Talk – Checking in with head coach Geoff Carlston https://t.co/Gn7KTAl9Bi
— OhioStateWVolleyball (@ohiostatewvball) September 1, 2016
#OSUWVBtribe Talk – Luisa Schirmer is ready to compete in the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets. https://t.co/v4Ksql2tqq
— OhioStateWVolleyball (@ohiostatewvball) September 1, 2016
#WVBtribetalk – Kalisha Goree loves the team culture of Ohio State Women's Volleyball https://t.co/iwdatLt29W
— OhioStateWVolleyball (@ohiostatewvball) September 1, 2016
NEW SEASON TICKET HOLDER BENEFITS FOR 2016
The Buckeyes play 10 matches inside historic St. John Arena, all against Big Ten opponents, beginning on Sept. 28 vs. Northwestern. Ohio State also hosts a tournament the weekend of Sept. 2-3 at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus.
Additional benefits for season ticket holders in 2016 include:
– Chance to win two All-Session Passes to the 2016 Women’s Volleyball Final Four December 15 & 17 at Nationwide Arena
– 2015 Sweet Sixteen mini banner
– Post-match photo with the team
– Barbecue with the team
– Invite to the postseason banquet
CLICK HERE to purchase season tickets!
D.C. KOEHL – A LASTING LEGACY
D.C. Koehl served as the communications director of Buckeye men’s and women’s volleyball for 30 years before passing away in January 2012. While this season marks the 12th annual Sports Imports Classic overall, the yearly home volleyball tournament has been named in honor of Koehl since 2012 as the Sports Imports D.C. Koehl Classic.
In addition to his duties associated with the volleyball programs, Koehl became the go-to guy for football and basketball statistics during his total of 39 years working in the Ohio State Athletics Department. The Columbus native began his Buckeye days as an undergraduate manager for the men’s basketball program, working under Hall of Fame coach Fred Taylor. After graduating from Ohio State with a degree in public recreation in 1973, Koehl hopped on board full-time with the Athletics Communications group. His love for the sport of volleyball extended into a role as the communications director for the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, a league the OSU men’s program has been a member of since its inception in 1961.
BUCKEYES DEPART TEXAS WITH THREE WINS IN HAND
Ohio State leaped into the 2016 season by capturing the North Texas Challenge title, securing three victories in the process. The Buckeyes opened by sweeping past Texas State and North Texas in straight sets before handing No. 16 Texas A&M its first loss of the young season, besting the Aggies in five sets. Taylor Hughes, Valeria León and Taylor Sandbothe earned all-tournament honors with Sandbothe selected as the event’s Most Valuable Player. It marks the ninth consecutive non-conference event in which Sandbothe picked up all-tourney accolades, a streak dating back to her freshman year.
SANDBOTHE NAMED BIG TEN’S BEST OF OPENING WEEK
Taylor Sandbothe is the reigning Big Ten Player of the Week after her MVP performance at the North Texas Challenge. She has now earned B1G weekly laurels in all four seasons of her career. She was the conference’s Player of the Week last year (Sept. 7, 2015), Defensive Player of the Week in 2014 (Sept. 8) and twice the Freshman of the Week (Nov. 11; Nov. 25, 2013).
For the week, Sandbothe averaged 4.09 kills per set while attacking at a .507 clip. She was responsible for a total of 55.5 points (5.05/set) on 45 kills, 10 blocks (1s, 9a) and five service aces. She exploded for career highs with 26 points and 32 point’s in Ohio State’s top-20 victory over No. 16 Texas A&M.
CAREER RECORD BOOKS UNDER SIEGE
Seniors Valeria León and Taylor Sandbothe have launched an attack on the Ohio State Record Books, cracking the Top-10 in multiple statistical categories with sights set on the top spot:
León
3.30 digs per set rank third in OSU history (school record – 3.45 digs/set – Chelsea Noble; 2008-09)
1,291 total digs ranks sixth (school record – 1,572 digs – Stacey Gordon; 2001-04)
Sandbothe
1.14 blocks per set rank second in OSU history (school record – 1.19 blocks/set – Shellye Sills; 1997-99)
90 solo blocks rank second (school record – 139 – Sherri Rinker; 1984-87)
430 total blocks rank fourth (school record – 517 – Dawn McDougall; 1988-91)
.305 attacking efficiency ranks sixth (school record – .366 – Sara Daniel; 1991-94)
340 block assists rank eighth (school record – 442 – Dawn McDougall; 1988-19)
AVCA RANKINGS
Ohio State rose to No. 11 in this week’s AVCA Coaches Poll. The Buckeyes are one of seven Big Ten Team ranked in the Top-25 with two more B1G squads receiving votes
BATTLE-TESTED BUCKEYES
Ohio State’s non-conference slate this season pits the Buckeyes against three 2015 conference champions and an overall combined opponent record of 254-127 (.667). When combined with the Big Ten adversaries, OSU is set to clash with teams ranked inside the AVCA Top-25 11 times with an additional three contests versus institutions currently receiving votes.
COLUMBUS — THE CITY THAT CROWNS CHAMPIONS
The 2016 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship will be held in Nationwide Arena. The NCAA Semifinals are contested on Dec. 15, followed two days later by the crowning of a national champion on Saturday, Dec. 17, in front of a national television audience on ESPN. Tickets are ON SALE NOW!
In addition, volleyball fans can also look forward to the 2017 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship which is also being hosted in Ohio’s capital city (St. John Arena — May 4-6, 2017).
