No. 21 Ohio State Opens Big Ten Slate on Road

No. 21 Ohio State at No. 2 Nebraska and Iowa
Dates: Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 and Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023
Venues: Bob Devaney Sports Center (Lincoln, Neb.) and Xtream Arena (Iowa City, Iowa)
Matches:

Friday: at No. 2 Nebraska (9 p.m. ET) | Live Stats | BTN
Sunday: at Iowa (3 p.m. ET) | Live Stats | B1G+

Rosters: Ohio State | Nebraska | Iowa
Match Notes: Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 21 Ohio State women's volleyball team (3-6) opens Big Ten play on the road this weekend. The Buckeyes will face No. 2 Nebraska (9-0) on Friday at 9 p.m. ET in a match broadcast live on BTN. Ohio State will then travel to Iowa (8-4) for a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. ET on B1G+.

Ohio State enters the match with a 3-6 record after completing one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country with the last six matches being against ranked opponents. In the non-conference finale last Friday, the Buckeyes' comeback at then No. 18 Baylor came up just short as they fell in five sets (22-25, 19-25, 25-18, 25-23, 8-15).
Senior Emily Londot continues to lead Ohio State's offense as she leads the conference in kills/set (4.86) and is second in points/set (5.21), ranking in the top-10 in the country in both categories. Freshman Mia Tuman ranks fourth in the Big Ten in assists/set (9.79).
Freshman Kaitlyn Hoffman has excelled after stepping into the libero role and is now averaging 3.05 digs/set, while freshman Eloise Brandewie and senior Rylee Rader lead the Buckeye block with 21 and 20 blocks on the season, respectfully.
No. 2 Nebraska enters Big Ten play at a perfect 9-0, one of just two unbeaten teams in the top-25. The Huskers are coming off back-to-back ranked wins, beating then No. 5 Stanford on the road and No. 21 Kentucky at home - each in four sets.
Other Huskers wins this season include then No. 16 Creighton, Utah State, Lipscomb, SMU, Omaha, Kansas State and Long Beach State and have not been pushed to five sets yet.
Merritt Beason (3.15) and Harper Murray (3.08) lead Nebraska in kills/set so far this season, while Bergen Reilly is averaging 9.35 assists/set and Lexi Rodriguez is averaging 3.38 digs/set. Bekka Allick leads the Huskers' block (1.75/set) as the team averages nearly 3.0 blocks/set.
Ohio State trails 17-10 in the all-time series against Nebraska and is 5-7 when facing the Huskers in Lincoln.
Last season, each team won at home with the Big Ten opener in Lincoln being a five-set thriller (22-25, 26-24, 25-19, 20-25, 13-15) and the Buckeyes winning in four at Covelli (31-29, 25-21, 26-28, 25-16).
Iowa enters the conference season with an 8-4 record and is scheduled to host its first ranked opponent of the season on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET in No. 12 Minnesota.
The Hawkeyes have earned wins this season against Cal Poly, Middle Tennessee State, Kent State, South Dakota State, Central Michigan, Missouri State, Syracuse and Cornell. Iowa has lost to Sacramento State, Nevada, Iowa State and Grand Canyon.
Caitlan Buettner leads the Iowa offense with 3.50 kills/set. Bailey Ortega (5.58 assists/set) and Kaia Mateo (4.68 assists/set) have been splitting setting duties. Sydney Dennis leads the back row defense with 3.93 digs/set, while Anna Davis (0.93 blocks/set) and Delaney McSweeney (0.91 blocks/set) lead the Hawkeyes' blocking.
Ohio State leads 69-8 in the all-time series against Iowa and is 30-4 when playing the Hawkeyes in Iowa City.
The Buckeyes enter the matchup with the last seven wins in the series, including a sweep (25-16, 25-8, 26-24) on the road and a four-set win (25-18, 22-25, 25-10, 25-18) at home last season.
The Hawkeyes most recent win against the Buckeyes came on Nov. 24, 2018 (before the Jen Flynn Oldenburg era) in five sets (26-24, 24-26, 19-25, 25-18, 14-16).

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