U Weekly. Serving The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio

OSU firing on all cylinders

By Colin Day

Like most sports, recovering from a tough start can be a difficult task. With the men's volleyball season reaching its midway point, it seems that No. 13 Ohio State has finally made progress in what can be a great second half.

Beginning the season 0-3, the Buckeyes looked like a team lost and without much going for them. The losing record was the result of playing the 12th, first, and fifth-ranked teams in the country, and the backdrop of Honolulu was not much help either.

Distractions aside, Ohio State rebounded with a dominating win against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, but followed it with a loss against St. Francis of the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. At that point in the season, Ohio State had not won a match away from St. John's Arena. That is, until they played Juniata, the Division III leader in men's volleyball.

It was there that the Buckeyes started their win streak - the Buckeyes downed the Eagles in straight games - and they have not backed down since, not allowing a single opponent to win a game in their last five matches. The win against Juniata next propelled Ohio State at home in a weekend series against Grand Canyon University, never letting the Antelopes score more than 25 in a single game.

This past week, Ohio State met with George Mason and, like all the others, the Patriots fell after putting up a fight in the last two games of the night. On Saturday, OSU faced off against Juniata once more, this time showing dominance on their home floor with a 3-0 win (30-18, 30-25, 30-26).

After jamming his thumb on Thursday, outside hitter John Klanac was out of the picture for the game, but this opened the door for freshman Nick Gibson to show his defensive skills, with the Buckeye's only solo block and two assists. Libero Mik Berzins added 13 digs for the match, with Gibson providing nine and freshman Rhett Cash with eight. Shawn Sangrey led all players in scoring with 19 and three other Buckeyes hit double digits.

The showcase in supremacy was not just impressive with individual feats, as OSU outclassed the Eagles in almost every statistical category. Major accomplishments were the 56 assists created in the game (51 by redshirt junior Steven Kehoe) compared to the 38 by Juniata and the .432 attack percentage Ohio State averaged in comparison to the .192 of the Eagles.

Five games won in a row, Ohio State (6-4, 3-0 MIVA) now must travel this Friday to Ball State with the hopes of improving their dismal away record. The Cardinals are also enjoying recent success, currently riding a six-game win streak on the back of MIVA two-time defensive player of the week Billy Ebel.

The next day the Buckeyes will travel back to Columbus for a rematch with St. Francis, now the 15th-ranked team in the country. They will be coming off a loss to Lewis University and a tough Loyola-Chicago team and should make their 7 p.m. start a fantastic event.

Originally Published: February 3, 2010

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