Ohio State Takes Down No. 4 Nebraska in Four Sets

Box Score | Season Stats | Photo Gallery

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes (19-5, 15-1 B1G) beat No. 4 Nebraska (22-3, 14-2 B1G) in front of a sold-out Covelli crowd in four sets (31-29, 25-21, 26-28, 25-16) on military appreciation day on Sunday.

The first set was the longest set of the season for Ohio State as the Buckeyes won the set by a 31-29 mark. Nebraska led early in the second set, but the Buckeyes battled back to win the set by a 25-21 margin. The Huskers forced a fourth set with a successful challenge to end a 28-26 third set. Ohio State took the lead early in the fourth set and ended the match with a 25-16 set win.

How it Happened

Adria Powell opened the match with a kill and the Buckeyes built an early 7-3 lead. Nebraska used a 4-0 run to tie the set at nine. The Huskers took their first lead of the match at 11-10 before the Buckeyes tied the set at 11. Ohio State took the 15-14 lead into the media timeout following a kill from Gabby Gonzales. After Nebraska tied the set at 15, back-to-back OSU points forced a Huskers timeout with OSU up 17-15. Nebraska used three-unanswered points to tie the set again at 19. Ohio State built a 24-22 lead to force a second Nebraska timeout but back-to-back Husker points out of the timeout tied the set at 24, forcing a Buckeye timeout. The Huskers fought off four OSU set points and took the 27-26 advantage to prompt an OSU timeout. The Buckeyes scored back-to-back points but the Huskers did the same to take a 29-28 lead. Ohio State won the set by a 31-29 margin on a pair of kills from Emily Londot and a Huskers’ attacking error.

Nebraska scored the first two points in the second set and jumped out to a 7-2 lead to force an Ohio State timeout. The Buckeyes strung together three-unanswered points to cut the deficit to 9-6 and got within two at 11-9 to prompt a Nebraska timeout. Ohio State tied the set for the first time at 11 before the Huskers took a 15-13 lead. The Buckeyes scored three-unanswered points to take their first lead of the set at 16-15, forcing a Nebraska timeout. OSU did not allow Nebraska to retake the lead despite being tied three times. A 3-0 Buckeye run gave Ohio State a 21-18 advantage. The Buckeyes sealed the 25-21 set win on a Rylee Rader kill.

The Huskers scored first and led 2-1 before a 5-0 Buckeyes run gave Ohio State the early 6-2 advantage, forcing a Nebraska timeout. The teams traded points with neither putting together a big run as OSU had the 14-9 lead midway through the set following a block from Powell and Jenaisya Moore. After Ohio State led 16-10, Nebraska got within two at 17-15 to force an OSU timeout. The Huskers trimmed the deficit to one point multiple times out of the timeout as the teams traded point-for-point until Nebraska tied the set at 20. The Huskers took a 22-21 lead with back-to-back points, their first lead since 2-1, and went ahead 24-22 to force a Buckeye timeout. Ohio State fought off four Nebraska set points before a successful Huskers challenge gave Nebraska the 28-26 set win to force a fourth set.

Nebraska opened scoring in the fourth set as the teams tied at the first two points. Ohio State scored five of the next six points to take a 7-3 lead and force a Huskers timeout. The teams traded points until a 5-0 OSU run amidst a Nebraska timeout gave the Buckeyes the 13-5 advantage. Ohio State pushed its lead to 19-9 before four-unanswered Huskers points forced a Buckeye timeout, leading 19-13. Nebraska scored out of the timeout before OSU could answer. The Buckeyes scored the final four points of the match to win the fourth set by a 25-16 margin.

Highlights

Run out

Flag

Intros

S1: Emily Londot/Adria Powell block

S1: Gabby Gonzales kill

S1: Jenaisya Moore kill

S1: Emily Londot kill

S1: Rylee Rader kill

S1: Kylie Murr dig

S1: Set point / reaction

S2: Jenaisya Moore kill

S2: Adria Powell/Emily Londot block

S2: Fan view

S2: Mac Podraza dump

S2: Set point

S3: Kylie Murr ace

S3: Kylie Murr dig/hype

S3: Rylee Rader/Emily Londot block

S3: Adria Powell kill

S4: Jenaisya Moore kill

S4: Kylie Murr dig, Gabby Gonzales kill

S4: Rylee Rader kill

S4: Match point

Celebration

Match Notes

• The Buckeye defense forced its opponent to hit under .200 for the 16^th time this season, going 15-1 in those matches.
• Ohio State is 14-1 when three or more Buckeyes total at least 10 kills apiece.
• OSU recorded a season-high 101 digs, besting the previous high of 79 digs recorded in the five-setter at Nebraska in September.
• Kylie Murr was the first in the match to 10 digs, doing so in the first set. She totaled at least 10 digs for the 22^nd time this season and reached 20 for the seventh time this season, matching her season-high (24) digs.
• Emily Londot was the first in the match to 10 kills, recording 12 in the first set on her way to a season-high 23 kills total (just one shy of her career-high). This is the 21^st time this season Londot has totaled at least 10 kills. She added her career-high 21 digs for her 10^th double-double of the season, surpassing 600 career digs.
• Londot was the third Buckeye to record a 20-kill match this season.
• Gabby Gonzales reached 10 digs for the ninth time this season, finishing with a season-high 20 digs. Gonzales added 18 kills to record her ninth double-double of the season. This was the 16^th match of the season that Gonzales had at least 10 kills.
• Jenaisya Moore reached 10 kills for the 19^th time this season, finishing the match with 12 kills.
• Mac Podraza recorded her ninth double-double of the season as well, finishing with 55 assists and 11 digs.
• Sarah Sue Morbitzer recorded at least 10 digs for the sixth time this season, matching her career-high 16 digs.
• Murr recorded more than one ace for the sixth time this season.
• Set one: The set was the Buckeyes’ longest of the season, featuring 16 ties and six lead changes.
• Set two: Following a 9-3 start for Nebraska, Ohio State responded with a 13-6 run to take its first lead of the set at 16-15 – a lead that wouldn’t be relinquished.
• Set three: Ohio State fought off four Nebraska set points before a successful Huskers challenge ended the set.
• Set four: Ohio State hit .417 in the set, compared to Nebraska’s .184.

What They Said

Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg: “We want want to go out and prove that we can not only hang with [Nebraska], but that we can beat them and defend our home court. We’re a team to respond the way they have since the loss [at Nebraska] is huge. To come out tonight in a big moment and play the way we did and on national TV in front of a sold-out crowd – it’s amazing. It’s a good feeling.”

Junior opposite Emily Londot: “I think the first word to come to mind is fun. It reminds me why I love the game – just having fun out there. Seeing everyone else succeeding too, helps me succeed more. Kylie Murr is back there making those big plays and then I make one and we work off each other. I think that’s what this team is. We really just take each other’s success and run with it.”

Up Next

Ohio State wraps up its regular-season road schedule on Friday at Maryland. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in a match broadcast on B1G+.

Be sure to come cheer on Ohio State women’s volleyball inside the Covelli Center this fall. 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.

#GoBucks