No. 21 Ohio State Loses Big Ten Opener at No. 2 Nebraska

Friday, September 22

Lincoln, Neb.

9:00 PM

Ohio State

3-7,0-1Big Ten

No. 2 Nebraska

10-0,1-0Big Ten

Ohio St.

Nebraska

Photo by: Dillon Galloway

No. 21 Ohio State Loses Big Ten Opener at No. 2 Nebraska

9/22/2023 11:29:00 PM | General, Women's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

The Buckeyes battled in a tight third set but fell in straight sets in Lincoln on Friday night.

Box Score | Season Stats | Photo Gallery

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-7, 0-1 B1G) opened conference play with a loss (14-25, 16-25, 21-25) on the road at No. 2 Nebraska (10-0, 1-0 B1G) on Friday night.

Nebraska led from start to finish in the first set, capturing a 25-14 set win. The second set was tighter early before a small run midway through the set by the Huskers allowed them to pull away to a 26-15 set win. The third set featured 10 ties and was close late but Nebraska scored four of the final five points to win 25-21.

Emily Londot led the Ohio State offense with nine kills (including her 1,500^th career kill), while Rylee Rader (6-0-12, .500) and Mia Tuman (3-0-5, .600) both attacked without error. Kaitlyn Hoffman led the back-row defense with nine digs, while Eloise Brandewie tied her career-high three blocks for the sixth time this season.

How it Happened
Nebraska opened scoring with the first three points and used a 4-0 run to build a 10-3 lead, forcing an Ohio State timeout. The Huskers extended their lead to 12-3 out of the timeout. Scoring evened out at Nebraska led 20-11. The Buckeyes scored three-unanswered points to get the score back within single digits at 22-14 but Nebraska closed with the final three points to earn a 25-14 set win.

The Huskers scored the first two points of the second set before the Buckeyes evened the score on an ace from Lauren Murphy. Ohio State trailed by two at 8-6 but a 3-0 Nebraska run forced the Buckeyes to call timeout trailing 11-6. Neither team put together more than two-unanswered points until OSU's 3-0 run trimmed their deficit to an 18-13 margin. The Buckeyes called timeout after back-to-back Nebraska points and the Huskers earned a 25-16 set win.

Ohio State scored first in the third set on a kill from Rylee Rader. The Buckeyes held a narrow lead until the Huskers tied the set at points seven through 10 and took their first lead of the set at 11-10. The teams traded points until back-to-back Nebraska scores gave the Huskers a 15-13 lead at the media timeout. Ohio State tied the set at 16 and 17 out of the timeout but a 4-1 run gave Nebraska the 21-18 lead, forcing a Buckeye timeout. OSU scored the next two points, including an ace from Emily Londot, to get within one at 21-20 and force a Nebraska timeout. A pair of Husker points prompted a Buckeye timeout trailing 23-20. Nebraska closed the match with a 25-21 set win.

Match Notes

This was the Buckeyes' seventh-consecutive match against a ranked opponent.
Eloise Brandewie tied her career-high three blocks in the first set, recording three blocks for the sixth time this season.
This was Lauren Murphy's fourth-straight match with an ace.
S3: The set featured 10 ties.

What They Said

Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg:
- "Nebraska is the most complete team we have faced so far. It's always a defensive battle with them and tonight their defense was on. Although our passing continues to improve, we needed a little more production from our offense. We will continue to work on our connections and shot selection to put us in better situations as we move forward in the Big Ten. Next step is to respond and engage in our game plan against Iowa on Sunday."

Up Next
Ohio State continues its road trip at Iowa on Sunday with a 3 p.m. ET match broadcast on B1G+.

Tickets for the Buckeyes' 2023 home season are now available. Single match tickets can be purchased HERE and mini plans can be purchased HERE. Applicable service fees will apply to all tickets. Fans with ticketing questions and group ticket requests (10+ tickets and in advance only) should call the Ohio State Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-BUCKS or email?athletic.tix@osu.edu.

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