Jan. 11, 2013
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 10 Ohio State men’s volleyball team kicked off the 2013 Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Invitational with a 3-2 (22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 25-17, 15-12) victory over host Hawai’i late Thursday on the campus of the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in Honolulu. The win marked the first for the Buckeyes over the Warriors in four attempts.
Ohio State (2-0) was led by a trio of Buckeyes with double-digit kills. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Lutz totaled a career-best 20 kills with four block assists and two service aces. Sophomore Michael Henchy notched a career-high 17 kills with 13 digs for his first double-double of the season. Senior Chen Levitan also picked up a double-double in the victory, finishing with a career-best 16 kills and 10 digs.
Redshirt sophomore setter Peter Heinen finished with a season-high 58 assists and 13 digs for his first double-double of the season. Senior Grayson Overman had a match-best six blocks, while classmate John Tholen totaled seven kills and one block.
JP Marks had 19 kills to lead the Warriors (0-3), while Sinisa Zarkovic had 12 and Jace Olsen totaled 11. Setter Max Wechsung finished with 49 assists and Nick West had a team-high four blocks.
HU took a quick 5-1 lead to open the first set and a Warrior block gave the home squad a 10-5 advantage. The Buckeyes, however, capitalized on HU errors to cut the lead to one at 12-11. A kill by Overman and a Derek Kues service ace locked the set at 16 apiece before the Warriors responded with a 6-2 run for a 22-18 lead. HU went on to take the set, 25-22.
At 2-1 HU in the second, a kill by Lutz triggered a 6-1 Buckeye run for a 7-3 advantage. The Warriors chipped away at the Ohio State lead to come within a point at 14-13 before another kill from Lutz and an Overman/Heinen block pushed the Buckeyes ahead, 16-13. HU continued to battle and finally tied the set at 20 apiece. Back-to-back kills by Henchy gave Ohio State a two-point cushion and another Henchy kill sealed the set win, 25-23.
The Warriors came out of the break firing to open with a 5-1 lead in the third. HU pushed ahead at 12-7 and again at 20-13. The Buckeyes fought back on a 6-2 run to cut the Warrior lead at 22-19, but the home team closed out the set with a 25-20 victory.
Kills from Lutz and Levitan gave Ohio State an early 4-2 lead in the fourth and a three-point run pushed the Buckeyes ahead at 10-7. A Lutz kill sent the Buckeyes on a 5-0 run highlighted by three-straight Overman/Lutz blocks for a 16-10 advantage. A kill from Henchy and a Lutz service ace set the score 19-13 and Ohio State took the set, 25-17, to force the fifth.
Three-straight Buckeye kills gave the team a 6-2 lead to start the final set and a pair of two-point run pushed Ohio State ahead at 11-5. The Warriors hung in and cut the lead to two at 14-12, but a kill by Heinen sealed the match victory, 15-12.
The Buckeyes return to the court for their second match of the Outrigger Invitational Friday. Ohio State takes on No. 5 UCLA at 9 p.m. ET/4 p.m. HT in the Stan Sherriff Center in Honolulu.
