Jan. 18, 2013

Match Notes

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 11 Ohio State men's volleyball team continues its road swing and travels to Loretto, Pa., Sunday to take on Saint Francis. The two teams face off at 3 p.m. ET in DeGol Arena. 

WEEKEND BASICS
Sunday, January 20 - 3 p.m. ET
No. 11 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-2) at Saint Francis (1-2 prior to Friday and Saturday's matches)

Live Stats

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RECAP: OUTRIGGER INVITE
Ohio State traveled to Honolulu for the 19th Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Invitational and came away with a 1-2 record on the weekend. The Buckeyes opened with a 3-2 win over Hawaii and followed with a 3-2 loss to No. 5 UCLA. The Buckeyes closed out the tournament with a 3-0 loss to the then-No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions.

Sophomore Michael Henchy led the Buckeyes offensively and was named to the all-tournament team after finishing with 40 kills and a .318 attack percentage. Henchy also had a team-best five service aces and totaled eight blocks (1s, 7a) over 13 sets played.

Senior Chen Levitan had 33 kills, while redshirt sophomore setter Peter Heinen averaged 9.62 assists. Redshirt sophomore Andrew Lutz ended with 32 kills and five blocks (0s, 5a) and sophomore Brennan Anderson had 35 digs, notching a career-high 16 against Penn State. 

MIVA HONORS
Senior Grayson Overman picked up his first MIVA Defensive Player of the Week honor this season Monday after pacing the Buckeye defense at the Outrigger Invitational this past weekend. The honor is the fourth of Overman's career.

Overman totaled 18 blocks (2,16a) over 13 sets played for a 1.38 average. Offensively, the middle blocker added 10 kills and had a service ace on the weekend. In the team's 3-2 win over host Hawai'i Thursday, Overman led all student-athletes with six block assists. Three of his blocks came in the pivotal fourth set that Ohio State won, 25-17.

The San Clemente, Calif., product totaled six block assists in the squad's five-set loss to No. 5 UCLA Friday. He followed with two solo blocks and four block assists for a match-high six blocks in the 3-0 loss to Penn State Saturday. Overman's three six-block performances tied a season-high and his two solo blocks against the Nittany Lions was also a season-best.

IN THE POLLS
Ohio State enters the weekend as the No. 11 team in the AVCA Division I-II Men's Top 15 poll, while MIVA opponent Lewis ranks 12th and Loyola-Chicago is receiving votes. Lewis is the only MIVA squad ranked in the Volleyball Magazine Top 10 poll, holding the 10th spot.

SAINT FRANCIS
The Saint Francis Red Flash holds a 1-2 overall record early in the season. The Red Flash is coming off a 1-1 weekend, defeating IPFW in four sets in Fort Wayne before falling at Ball State in three.

Junior Logan Patterson leads the team with 34 kills, while classmate Michael Krepp leads in assists with 70. Senior Adam Roche has 12 blocks (2s, 10a), while junior Collin Sherwin and redshirt junior Kyle Beatty are tied with 15 digs each.

The Buckeyes lead the series 22-1, with Saint Francis' only win coming in 2010 in four sets (22-30, 25-30, 30-22, 25-30). The two squads met earlier this season, ending in a 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-16) win for the Buckeyes. The Red Flash host Loyola-Chicago and Lewis Friday and Saturday before taking on Ohio State Sunday.

MIVA PRESEASON POLL
The Ohio State men's volleyball team was chosen to finish third in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association by a vote of the league coaches. The Buckeyes return four starters and a libero from last year's squad that captured a share of MIVA regular season title with a 9-3 record.

The 2012 MIVA tournament champion Lewis was voted as the conference favorite with 62 points and six first place votes. Loyola-Chicago was picked to finish second, having 54 points and one first place vote. Ohio State came in a close third with 52 points and one first place vote.

Sophomore outside hitter Michael Henchy was selected to the MIVA preseason All-Conference team. The Ventura, Calif., product played in 21 matches for the Buckeyes last season and averaged 1.66 kills per set. Henchy had a solid summer in 2012 as he helped Team USA to a gold medal at the Junior Continental Championships in Colorado Springs.

UP NEXT
The Buckeyes open MIVA competition, traveling to conference newcomer Lindenwood Jan. 26-27. Matches are set for 8 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, in St. Charles, Mo.