No. 7 Ohio State Opens Season in Front of Sold-Out Covelli Crowd
8/26/2022 11:56:43 PM | Women's Volleyball
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes began the season with a loss to No. 2 Texas in front of a sold-out crowd inside the Covelli Center in straight sets (21-25, 22-25, 22-25).
After a back-and-forth beginning to the first set, Texas emerged with the lead and held onto a narrow lead for the majority of set one despite Ohio State sticking around. The Buckeyes began strong in the second set, but the Longhorns battled back to jump ahead two sets to none. The third set was a battle the entire time with 10 ties and six lead changes, but ultimately it was Texas who strung together a couple key points at the end to secure the win.
How it Happened
Gabby Gonzales began the Buckeyes’ season with a service ace. The teams traded points with neither gaining more than a point advantage until Texas took a 7-5 lead with back-to-back kills. The Longhorns led 15-10 at the media timeout. A block from Emily Londot capped three-consecutive Buckeye points to close the deficit to 18-15 and force a Texas timeout. A second service ace from Gonzales got OSU within two. The Longhorns used a 4-1 run to force an Ohio State timeout trailing 22-17. The Buckeyes got within three at 24-21 but fell in set one by a 25-21 mark.
Ohio State began the second set quickly, putting together a 7-0 run amidst a Texas timeout and three aces from Londot to lead 8-1. A block from Mac Podraza and Adria Powell gave the Buckeyes a 12-4 advantage and the Longhorns called a second timeout. Ohio State took a timeout after Texas closed the gap to 14-12. The Longhorns tied the set at 14 aside and took their first lead of the set at 15-14. The Buckeyes tied the set at 16 before Texas regained the lead. Back-to-back Londot kills got the Buckeyes within one but OSU fell 25-22.
Texas took an early 7-5 lead but four-straight Buckeye points gave OSU the two-point edge. The set was tied again at 11 and 12. The Longhorns took a 15-12 lead into the media timeout. The Buckeyes fought back to tie the set at 18 with a 4-0 and again at 20. A Texas error gave Ohio State the 21-20 lead, its first since 10-9, forcing a Longhorns timeout. The Buckeyes took a timeout after three-straight Texas points, trailing 23-21. Texas closed the match with a 25-22 win in the third set.
Highlights
S3: Rylee Rader Kill
Match Notes
- Emily Londot totaled a team-high 14 kills, while Kylie Murr led with 11 digs to tie the highest among all players.
- Set one: Each team scored four-consecutive points only once, otherwise scoring no more than two in a row.
- Set two: Londot earned three service aces back-to-back during Ohio State’s run at the beginning of the set.
- Set three: The set featured 10 ties and six lead changes.
What They Said
- Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg on the electric crowd: “I think it shows the team how far they’ve come and the support that’s here on campus, both from the students and from the community. That’s big for them. I think that puts them in a situation where they understand how big volleyball really is and they’re part of that. We have a lot of returners. They’ve been here from the beginning of that turnaround. From me, it’s fun to experience it. I see it from a different lense too because I played here. I played in St. John Arena and if you had this amount of people in St. John Arena, it would be super quiet. It’s a whole different event. To know that we’re selling out, tomorrow is going to be another great event. As the leader of this program it’s exciting to be around because the excitement is here for this team and for volleyball. It’s just good for the sport.”
Up Next
Ohio State continues opening weekend against No. 2 Texas on Saturday at 8 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite scarlet.
Be sure to come cheer on Ohio State women’s volleyball inside the Covelli Center this fall. Season tickets, a four-match mini plan option and single-match tickets are available HERE. Applicable service fees will apply to all tickets. For group tickets and any questions, contact an account representative at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or via email at athletic.tix@osu.edu.
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