No. 3 UCLA Earns 3-1 Win Over No. 13 Buckeyes Saturday

Saturday, February 1

Columbus, Ohio

7 p.m.

Ohio State

3-5,0-0MIVA

UCLA

6-1,0-0MPSF

UCLA

Ohio St.

Photo by: Kirk Irwin

Photo by: Ohio State Athletics

Photo by: Kirk Irwin

No. 3 UCLA Earns 3-1 Win Over No. 13 Buckeyes Saturday

2/1/2025 9:26:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Buckeyes open MIVA play Feb. 8 at home vs. Loyola Chicago

Kyle Teune, Cole Young and Kevin Burch, Ohio State head coach

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 13 Ohio State (3-5) battled but fell to No. 3 UCLA (6-1) in the final match of the 2025 Big Ten Challenge at the Covelli Center Saturday.

The Buckeyes lost by scores of 25-23, 19-25, 22-25 and 24-26.

Ohio State was led by junior opposite Shane Wetzel with 13 kills. Daniel Henwood Rodriguez added 39 assists.

No. 6 USC improved to 8-0 with a 3-1 win over Penn State (0-6) in the early game Saturday. The Trojans went 2-0 in the event with wins over the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions.

Ohio State is back in action against No. 7 Loyola Chicago Jan. 8 (7 p.m.) at the Covelli Center in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association opener.

How it Happened

Set 1 (25-23)
Ohio State leaped to a 3-0 start following two UCLA errors and an ace from Stanislaw Chacinski. The Bruins tied it at 4-all after a block by Cameron Thorne and Zach Rama. Neither team could gain more than a two-point advantage until a pair of Bruin errors lifted Ohio State up 11-9. The Buckeyes kept UCLA at a distance, heading into a media timeout leading 15-13 following a kill from Kyle Teune. Coming out of the break, a kill from Chacinski took the score to 16-12, forcing the Bruins to take their first timeout of the set. The Buckeyes took their largest lead at 19-13 after a kill from Shane Wetzel and a UCLA attack error. A stuff block from Chacinski and Thomas Leahey put the Buckeyes on top 22-16, pushing UCLA into its second timeout of the set. Out of the huddle, UCLA outscored the Buckeyes 4-1, forcing Ohio State into its first timeout at 23-20. The Bruins inched closer, trailing 24-23 when Ohio State took its second timeout. After the break, Ohio State took the set 25-23 following a Wetzel kill to go up 1-0 in the match. Wetzel led the Buckeye offense with three kills and two aces with Teune adding two kills.

S1| Set one, set won?? pic.twitter.com/DXKL9J3USt
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioStateMVB) February 2, 2025

Set 2 (19-25)
The Bruins led 4-2 to start, but Ohio State tied it up with an ace from Wetzel. A kill and an ace from UCLA's Cameron Thorne lifted the Bruins up 8-6. Trailing 11-7. Ohio State took its first timeout of the set following a kill from Rama. Coming out of the huddle, the Bruins kept Ohio State at bay, forcing the Buckeyes to take another timeout, behind 16-12. The Scarlet and Gray then rattled off three-consecutive points to lift the score to 16-15 Bruins. UCLA outscored the Buckeyes 5-2, topped off with a kill by Rama, to take a 21-17 advantage. Three Ohio State errors brought the score to 24-18. The Bruins took the set 25-19 on a kill from Robinson to tie the match at one set each.

S2| The rally goes to the Buckeyes! pic.twitter.com/xT8yAMLqHV
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioStateMVB) February 2, 2025

Set 3 (22-25)
After a tie at 2-all to start the third set, the scarlet and gray rattled off four consecutively to take a 6-2 lead and force a Bruin timeout early. UCLA brought it within three, trailing 9-6, but another four consecutive points by the Buckeyes pushed the Bruins into taking their second and final timeout of the set, trailing 13-6. Out of the huddle, UCLA outscored Ohio State 5-1, bringing the score to 14-11, and the Buckeyes called their first timeout. The Bruins kept momentum after the break, climbing set the score at 15-14 Ohio State. The Buckeyes answered, gaining the advantage at 19-16 following a kill from Wetzel. Ohio State extended its lead to 21-17 after another kill from Wetzel, but the back-to-back Bruin kills took the score to 21-20, pushing the Buckeyes into their final timeout. UCLA tied it at 22-all, until back-to-back aces from Robinson gave the Bruins set point, 24-22. A kill from David Decker gave UCLA the set 25-22 and a 2-1 advantage in the match.

S3| Boom. pic.twitter.com/7NPZ19xvZS
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioStateMVB) February 2, 2025

Set 4 (24-26)
The Buckeyes came out hot in the fourth, taking a 5-1 lead and notching a pair of kills to go with an ace. UCLA fought back to a 7-5 deficit following a kill from Robinson and a Bruin block. The scarlet and gray kept a steady two-point advantage until a Leahey kill lifted the Buckeyes up 12-9. Headed into a media timeout, a Teune kill gave Ohio State a 15-13 edge. After the break, UCLA tied it at 15-all. Both teams traded points until UCLA found the advantage at 20-18, forcing Ohio State into its first timeout. Kills from Wetzel and Young tied it at 20-all, and an ace from Leahey gave the Buckeyes a 21-20 advantage. Ohio State took its final timeout trailing 22-21 after a net violation. A Bruin service error tied it at 22-all. After another tie at 23, a kill from Rama gave UCLA its first set point, 24-23. Young answered with a kill of his own to tie it at 24-all. The Bruins then scored consecutively to take the set 26-24 and the match 3-1.

S4| Tie ball game!?? pic.twitter.com/ToENXiEdVC
— OSU Men's Volleyball (@OhioStateMVB) February 2, 2025

2025 Big Ten Challenge All-Tournament Team

Andrew Rowan, UCLA, MVP
Cooper Robinson, UCLA
Zach Rama, UCLA
Dillon Klein, USC
Caleb Blanchette, USC
Shane Wetzel, OSU
Will Kuhns, Penn State

No. 6 USC vs. No. 17 Penn State

Sixth-ranked USC (8-0) topped Penn State (0-7) on Saturday at Covelli Center in the 2025 Big Ten Challenge, 3-1.

Southern Cal bested the Nittany Lions by scores of 25-22, 21-25, 25-21 and 25-15. The Trojans ended the weekend 2-0, beating PSU and Ohio State, while the Nittany Lions finished 0-2 and fell to 0-7 on the season.

Noah Roberts of USC let all scorers with 15 kills, with PSU's Matthew Luoma following closely with 14. Caleb Blanchette of USC and Michael Schwob of Penn State both notched 42 assists on the night. Schwob also recorded 10 digs.

How it Happened

Set 1 (USC, 25-22)
The Trojans jumped to a 2-0 lead after a pair of Nittany Lions errors. PSU tied it at 6-all after kills from Will Kuhns and Michael Schwob. Penn State took its first lead of the match at 9-8 after a Trojan service error. Neither team could gain more than a two-point advantage until a USC service error and a PSU ace tied it at 15-all. After another tie at 19, a Trojan block and a kill from Guy Genis made the score to 21-19, forcing the Nittany Lions to take their first timeout. PSU took its final timeout down 23-20 after consecutive points by the Trojans. Out of the break, Penn State survived a Trojan set point, but a kill from Noah Roberts gave USC the set 25-22.

Set 2 (PSU, 25-21)
The second set started off evenly until a pair of Nittany Lion kills and a service ace gave them a 7-4 advantage. The Trojans responded, scoring three consecutive thanks to a kill from Roberts and two PSU attack errors. USC took the lead at 10-9 following a Sterling Foley kill, but a service error the next rally tied it at 10-all. The Nittany Lions then outscored USC 5-2, lifting the score to 15-12. Coming out of the timeout, Penn State kept a steady lead, and a kill from Gaige Gabriel put the Lions on top 19-14 when USC its first timeout. Following the break, PSU went on a 4-3 run, keeping the Trojans at a distance and forcing them to take their second and final timeout trailing 23-17. USC scored consecutively after the break, but a service error gave the Nittany Lions their first set point at 24-19. PSU took its first timeout of the set leading 24-22. Coming out of the timeout, a Trojan serve into the net gave Penn State the set 25-21 to tie the match at 1-1.

Set 3 (USC, 25-21)
The Trojans jumped to a 3-1 lead to start the set following a PSU service errors and a kill each by Roberts and Dillon Klein. USC kept Penn State at a distance, and a string of service errors from both teams set the score at 7-5. The Nittany Lions edged to within one, trailing 10-9 after a kill from Will Kuhns. An ace from Gabriel and a kill from Markus Olsson put the Trojans on top 14-10, forcing PSU into its first timeout of the set. A Trojan service error and back-to-back aces from Kuhns lifted the score to 14-13, pushing USC into taking a timeout while leading by one. Following the break, the Trojans jumped to a 19-16 lead, but Penn State brought it back to within one at 20-19 after another Kuhns kill. PSU took its final timeout of the set trailing 23-20. The Trojans took the set 25-21 after a block from Roberts and Olsson to go up 2-1 in the match.

Set 4 (25-15)
The fourth set started back-and-forth with neither team able to score consecutively. USC found the advantage at 9-6 after kills from Foley and Tomkinson and a Trojan block, forcing PSU into its first timeout. USC kept going after the break, jumping to a 12-7 lead, pushing Penn State into taking its second and final timeout of the set. Coming out of the timeout, the Trojans held PSU at a distance, taking their largest lead of the set at 21-12. A kill from Foley gave the Trojans the set 25-15 and the match 3-1.

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