Top-10 Foes Coming to Covelli this Weekend
11/6/2019 2:42:05 PM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team faces the top of the Big Ten standings this weekend when it welcomes No. 4 Wisconsin on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 6 Minnesota for a noon match Sunday.
| Matches | Date | Time | Live Stats | Live Stream ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State vs. No. 4 Wisconsin | Friday, Nov. 8 | 7 p.m. | Stats | Watch |
| Ohio State vs. No. 6 Minnesota | Sunday, Nov. 10 | 12 p.m. | Stats | Watch |
PROMOTIONS
Friday – Military Appreciation Night, OSU camo beanies for the first 150 students
Sunday – OSU scrunchies for the first 250 fans, free Raising Cane’s for students, $1 admission for MBB vs. UMass ticket holders
HISTORY WITH THE BADGERS & GOLDEN GOPHERS
Ohio State trails 43-36 in the all-time series with Wisconsin, which began in 1975. The Badgers swept last year’s home-and-home series with a pair of 3-0 victories. In the finale, Bia Franklin and Lauren Witte recorded eight and seven kills, respectively.
The Buckeyes and Golden Gophers have faced off 81 times since 1975. Minnesota owns a 47-34 advantage in the all-time series, having won the last seven meetings. Last week, Ohio State pushed the Gophers to five sets, led by Gabby Gonzales, who had a career night across the board with 22.5 points, 20 kills, 16 digs, four assists and two service aces. Jenaisya Moore tallied 14 kills and four digs while Elle Sandbothe recorded 12 kills and six blocks, which tied her career high.
SCOUTING REPORT
Wisconsin (16-4, 12-0 B1G) has not lost a match since its final non-conference outing on Sept. 21 and has only dropped five sets in Big Ten play. The Badgers picked up a pair of sweeps against Maryland and Indiana last week to extend their win streak to 12 matches. Wisconsin ranks in the Top 20 nationally in multiple categories with a .294 hitting percentage (4th), 13.26 assists per set (12th), 1.78 aces per set (15th) and 14.10 kills per set (19th). Individually, Dana Rettke stands eighth behind a .426 hitting clip while Sydney Hilley averages 11.41 assists per set for 10th.
Minnesota (17-3, 10-1 B1G) is on a six-match win streak after taking down Ohio State in five sets and No. 16 Purdue, 3-1, last week. The Gophers rank eighth in the nation with 13.25 assists per set. Minnesota is also one of the top teams in the country behind 2.80 blocks per set (14th) and 14.15 kills per set (14th). Individually, Regan Pittman is averaging 1.39 blocks per set to stand 14th.
LAST TIME OUT
Ohio State (12-12, 5-7 B1G) swept this season’s series by defeating Maryland in straight sets. Jenaisya Moore had her 11th match of the season in double figures with 19 kills. Gabby Gonzales added 14 kills, nine digs, three blocks and two assists. Becca Mauer had her second double-double with 23 assists and 13 digs. Mac Podraza recorded 14 assists, three digs, two kills and a block while Kylie Murr tallied 13 digs and five assists.
MOORE NAMED B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Jenaisya Moore was selected as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 4. The outside hitter turned in 4.12 kills per set, 4.38 points per set and a .272 hitting percentage over two matches. Moore’s 14 kills helped the Buckeyes push Minnesota to five sets. Her 19 kills against Maryland were a high for her in a Big Ten outing. She hit .395, converting half of her 38 attempts with only four miscues.
CAREER WATCH
Setter Becca Mauer has appeared in 74 matches for Ohio State and recorded 1,402 assists during that time to rank 13th all-time in program history. Her 6.12 assists per set is 15th among the Buckeyes’ career leaders. Middle blocker Lauren Witte has 84 matches under her belt and stands among some of the best in Ohio State history. She currently has 43 solo blocks (t-18th), 219 block assists (20th) and 262 total blocks (20th).
BY THE NUMBERS
Ohio State averages 13.51 kills per set to sit at No. 43 in the national rankings, paced by Jenaisya Moore at 3.70 kills per set. Kylie Murr leads the Big Ten and is 33rd in the country behind 4.95 digs per set. Becca Mauer (7.95) and Mac Podraza (6.90) have split setting duties as of late. At the net, 10 Buckeyes have double-digit blocks – Elle Sandbothe (61), Lauren Witte (60), Mac Podraza (33), Jordan Fry (33), Moore (24), Adria Powell (19), Mia Grunze (18), Gabby Gonzales (18), Mauer (12) and Vanja Bukilic (10).
B1G STATS
In Big Ten matches only, Gabby Gonzales (3.59) and Jenaisya Moore (3.47) rank sixth and ninth, respectively, in kills per set. Kylie Murr’s 4.61 digs per set checks in at No. 1 while Becca Mauer’s 8.49 assists per set stands ninth. As a team, Ohio State is second in the league with 15.51 digs per set.
RPI STANDINGS
Ohio State is currently No. 50 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings released on Monday, Nov. 4. The Buckeyes join seven other Big Ten volleyball teams ranked in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI – No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 8 Minnesota, No. 15 Penn State, No. 21 Purdue, No. 39 Michigan and No. 40 Illinois.
UP NEXT
The Buckeyes have a rematch with No. 15 Purdue set for Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. in West Lafayette.
