Buckeyes Close Home Slate against Northwestern, No. 25 Illinois
11/20/2019 10:33:41 AM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team will take the court in the Covelli Center for the final time this weekend to wrap up its 16-match home slate. Actions starts at 7 p.m. Friday when Northwestern comes to town. The Buckeyes have a rematch scheduled with No. 25 Illinois on Sunday at 1 p.m.
| Matches | Date | Time | Live Stats | Live Stream ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State vs. Northwestern | Friday, Nov. 22 | 7 p.m. | Stats | Watch |
| Ohio State vs. #25 Illinois | Sunday, Nov. 24 | 1 p.m. | Stats | Watch |
PROMOTIONS
Friday – Senior Night, OSU rambler cups for the first 100 students
Sunday – Family Day, Brutus holiday ornaments for the first 500 fans, free pizza for students
PARKING
Ohio State’s women’s volleyball and men’s basketball teams are both playing on campus at 7 p.m. Friday. Parking will be $10 for all guests using Buckeye lots.
SENIOR SALUTE
Friday’s contest against Northwestern will serve as Ohio State’s senior night. The Buckeyes will honor Elle Sandbothe, Bia Franklin, Abby Julian, Camry Halm and Madison Smeathers after the match.
HISTORY WITH THE WILDCATS & FIGHTING ILLINI
The Buckeyes own a 56-22 advantage over the Wildcats in the all-time series, dating back to 1975. Ohio State dropped both meetings a year ago, which snapped a six-match win streak. Vanja Bukilic combined for 24 kills during the two matches.
Illinois holds a 45-38 lead in the all-time series heading into Sunday. The Buckeyes have dropped their last five meetings with the Fighting Illini, including a straight-set decision earlier this season. Gabby Gonzales recorded a double-double (12 kills, 10 digs) and Becca Mauer had 23 assists. Kylie Murr added a match-high 19 digs.
SCOUTING REPORT
Northwestern (11-17, 2-14 B1G) is looking to get back in the win column after falling to No. 8 Penn State, 3-0, last Sunday. The Wildcats are averaging 12.44 kills per set and have a .217 hitting efficiency this season. Temi Thomas-Ailara is second in the Big Ten with 3.98 kills per set.
Illinois (13-12, 8-8 B1G) snapped a two-match losing streak when it swept Rutgers last Saturday. As a team, Illinois averages 13.56 kills per set to stand sixth in the Big Ten and 48th in the nation. Individually, Jacqueline Quade leads the conference and is 35th nationally with 4.15 kills per set. Her 4.78 points per set and 407 total kills rank 33rd and 48th, respectively, in the country.
LAST TIME OUT
Ohio State (14-14, 7-9 B1G) went on the road last Saturday and defeated Indiana in four sets. Three players finished with double figures in kills, led by Gabby Gonzales with 16, who also had nine digs. Madison Smeathers delivered season highs in points (16.5), kills (13) and blocks (5) while hitting .524. Jenaisya Moore tallied 13 kills, nine digs, three assists and two blocks. Lauren Witte had a .417 clip (6-1-12) and combined it with five rejections. Becca Mauer did a little bit of everything behind 27 assists, nine digs and two kills. Kylie Murr added a match-best 22 digs, four assists and a career-high three service aces. Mac Podraza turned in 14 assists, three kills and two blocks.
CAREER WATCH
Setter Becca Mauer has appeared in 78 matches for Ohio State and recorded 1,500 assists during that time to rank 13th all-time in program history. Her 6.15 assists per set is 15th among the Buckeyes’ career leaders. Middle blocker Lauren Witte has 88 matches under her belt and stands among some of the best in Ohio State history. She currently has 44 solo blocks (18th), 230 block assists (t-17th) and 274 total blocks (t-19th).
BY THE NUMBERS
Ohio State averages 13.52 kills per set to sit at No. 51 in the national rankings, paced by Jenaisya Moore at 3.63 kills per set. Kylie Murr leads the Big Ten and is 32nd in the country behind 5.01 digs per set. Becca Mauer (7.68) and Mac Podraza (6.45) have split setting duties as of late. At the net, 11 Buckeyes have double-digit blocks – Elle Sandbothe (72), Lauren Witte (72), Podraza (41), Jordan Fry (33), Moore (29), Gabby Gonzales (24), Adria Powell (19), Mia Grunze (18), Madison Smeathers (18), Mauer (12) and Vanja Bukilic (10).
RPI STANDINGS
Ohio State is currently No. 49 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings released on Monday, Nov. 18. The Buckeyes join seven other Big Ten volleyball teams ranked in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI – No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 13 Penn State, No. 21 Purdue, No. 35 Michigan and No. 45 Illinois.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes will close out the regular season with visits to Iowa (Nov. 29) and No. 6 Nebraska (Nov. 30).
