Two big matches happening tonight, more or less simultaneously. There’s an MPSF match between BYU and Cal Baptist that should be very much ‘defense need not apply’ and then there’s this match out of the MIVA. I’m excited to watch this one because Ohio State’s own webcasts are behind a paywall — this is one of the only times I’ll be able to see the Buckeyes play this season, so I’m seizing the chance. As it happens, OSU/GCU and BYU/CBU both happen again tomorrow, and I’ll probably write up the BYU match then.
But to Tucson we go. I like this Grand Canyon team, but I seem to be one of the only people who does. I don’t expect they’ll pose a roadblock to Ohio State or Lewis (whomever they should happen to face in the MIVA tournament) from making the Final Four, but a regular-season true home match? Yeah, all bets are off tonight. I’m hoping they don’t just fall flat on their faces.
Ohio State are led by sophomore outside hitter Michael Henchy, averaging three and a half kills a set. Blockmonster Grayson Overman, a senior, averages a little over a block a set, leading the Buckeyes up the middle to slightly outblock their opposition on the season. Five different Buckeyes have started all 15 matches for Ohio State, and a sixth has started 11 of them. Only the two players listed at libero have likewise played in each match, so this looks like a team that does not rely on their bench very much. Of the two liberos, sophomore Brennan Anderson has racked up far more statistics, including a very strong three and a quarter digs per set and 372 service receptions. Makes me wonder what the responsibilities are for the other libero, senior Derek Kues, if Anderson does the defense and service reception. Kues nonetheless has appeared in every match. The Buckeyes’ other regular starters are senior outside hitter Chen Levitan, fifth-year senior middle blocker John Tholen, and sophomore setter Peter Heinen. Lots of seniors on this squad.
In an interesting little oddity, Ohio State enter carrying losses in true home matches and on neutral courts, but are 5-0 in true road matches so far.
Both sides fed the middles early on with success. Ohio State jumped out to the first lead at 4-2, but Grand Canyon then rattled off five of six to go up 7-5, with Ben Ponnet‘s serving the difference, one point on an ace and the other with an out of system serve (we need a statistic for those) leading to one of those sets to nowhere. Overman came up large on the 7-all rally, denying Christian Ward straight up the middle on a 1-on-1 net matchup. That’s a big stuff; the hitter should nearly always win a 1-on-1. Ward looked quite upset with himself (as well he realistically should). Ohio State re-established their lead when GCU setter Keith Smith was called for a neutral zone fault. Ponnet’s hitting error on 11-9 put the Buckeyes up three, but that too was short-lived as Ponnet drew the Antelopes back within one by spiking Andrew Lutz in the face on the left side for a kill.
Play was briefly stopped on 12-11 Ohio State when a ball became stuck on the air conditioning ducts above the court. I’m not sure, but I think the webcast caught someone saying words to the effect that they couldn’t retrieve the ball and figured it wasn’t going anywhere, so game on. Made me wonder if it was gonna fall down at any time. Ohio State reached 15 first, though only just, at 15-14, with a hitting error by Ponnet. Though since this match wasn’t televised anywhere, there was no automatic timeout at 15. Grand Canyon then edged ahead again, at 16-15, when Henchy shanked a service reception from Ward. As if to even it out, Ward’s next, hotter, serve sailed well long. Ohio State being called for a neutral zone fault put GCU up 19-17, prompting Ohio State to take the first timeout of the set.
At 20-18, Ohio State brought it Derek Kues as a serving sub. I guess I should have noticed that on the stat sheet, that he had serving statistics. Nothing came of his one attempt. The set boiled down to a race to 4 when Smith’s frantic attempt to keep a ball alive for the Antelopes got returned to sender by Henchy to tie the set at 21’s. Another long rally, ending with a Henchy kill, brought it to 22-21 and GCU’s timeout. They followed the golden rule of timeouts, siding out on the point after. At 23-all, Ponnet’s serve flew just long, with Ohio State libero Anderson needing to do a little contortionist act to get out of the way of it. The Buckeyes came up with a big middle block on 24-23 to take the first set.
After the two sides split the first six points of the 2nd, there was a curious stoppage of play at 3-3. At first it was suggested to be a charged Ohio State timeout (which would be all the curiouser and curiouser as they had just won the last rally). The commentator didn’t seem too interested in figuring out what exactly had happened (a mic did pick up the down ref telling GCU’s coach it wasn’t a charged timeout), and after a moment play resumed. GCU got a big point on 6-5 as their back row kept a wayward ball alive, and then their middle blockers got the block against Overman to go up 2 points. Play was stopped momentarily again at 7-all after a close in/out call on a Buckeye serve, called out for an Antelope point. The Buckeyes’ coach at that point became audibly upset with all the delays, though thankfully this one wasn’t even 30 seconds. Both sides used the pipe set — much more common in the men’s game than the women’s — effectively early in set 2, with Henchy and Ponnet the two big hitters.
The Buckeyes went up 2 at 13-11 with a powerful smash from Lutz, but Ponnet and GCU libero Trent Bruns nearly ran the ball down. Ohio State reached 15 first with the same lead intact, following a Ponnet service error. At 16-14, Henchy’s serve clipped the top of the net and appeared to have the Antelopes well out of system, but they were able to adapt quite impressively and put away an easy kill with middle blocker Ryan Mather getting the assist to outside hitter Andrew Muys. But the Buckeyes took the next two to prompt GCU’s timeout at 18-15. But the Antelopes did not get the sideout coming out of this one, falling further behind 21-15 before taking their second timeout. They didn’t get much of an offensive attempt on the rally following that timeout, either, but the Buckeyes gave them the sideout with a badly wide hit. Serving sub Shawn Herron came in for the Buckeyes at 22-16, and promptly aced Gerrard Lipscombe, another recent sub, twice to get the Buckeyes set point. They converted on their second attempt.
The Antelopes made a lineup change in advance of set 3, with Erik Jansen taking the place of Muys. While not strictly sideout after sideout, it was again very tight and even at the outset of the 3rd. Overman’s ace on 8-7 got the Buckeyes a two-point lead, though they very nearly gave it back on their next service reception as Chen Levitan looked like he should have been called for a lift. Ohio State took a very long rally on 11-8, ending with a kill for Levitan to go up 12-8 at GCU’s timeout. I began to feel like perhaps the elastic had snapped after set 1, but the Antelopes rattled off three straight after the timeout to draw back within a point, and ran it even at 13’s. Ryan Mather followed with his first kill in approximately forever to give the Antelopes a one-point lead at 14-13, prompting Ohio State’s timeout. Tholen was called for a net fault on the first point back, to give the Antelopes their first two-point lead in recent memory. The Buckeyes, however responded with three straight to retake the lead, at GCU’s timeout. And the Antelopes ran back to tie it again at 17’s — competitive stuff.
At 18-17, Ohio State’s back row had to dive for a ball to keep it alive, which miraculously went straight to the setter, which (seemingly as miraculously) went straight to Henchy, who terminated it. Ohio State’s advantage extended to 20-17, as it seemed that GCU just couldn’t get over the hump. They went on another run, to close to within 22-21 at Ohio State’s last timeout. They knotted the set at 23, but Ohio State got to match point as the Antelopes, despite a strenuous effort, could not legally return the ball on 23-all. The Antelopes staved off the first match point, but they weren’t able to score again.
#9 Ohio State d. Grand Canyon (25-23, 25-17, 26-24)
See, now I want to watch tomorrow’s match to see if GCU continue the adjustments and come out more competitive. I certainly hope so. Sets 1 and 3 were entertaining. Set 2 was…not. Credit to the Buckeyes, who don’t give a damn whether I’m entertained (nor should they).
After a strong start for Ponnet, he finished the match with 11 kills on .273 hitting, which….I guess it’s not horrible, but that can’t be your best offensive performance if you want to come away with a W. Christian Ward really struggled for the Antelopes, hitting 3/4/11 for .111 in the red. Mather quietly had a strong hitting night, at 9/1/12 for .667 (though it’s a little goofy giving percentages for so few attempts). And Jansen was a good spark plug off the bench, getting 4 kills in 6 errorless swings. Might see him again in tomorrow night’s match.
Both sides hit for very high efficiency, as there were only 25 attack errors combined between the two sides in this match. Henchy, Lutz, and Levitan were the three-headed monster for the Buckeyes in this match, combining for 37 of the team’s 43 kills on .400-even hitting. And just, eyeball test…they didn’t really look that challenged. Sorry to say it, but I think I was probably wrong about this Grand Canyon team.
All the delays throughout the first set and a half were a little wearisome, but that’s a minor complaint to have about officiating. I want the calls to be right and all measures taken to ensure safety (that ball never did fall from the rafters). Pace and feel of the game are secondary to both of those things.
Same matchup tomorrow night, as GCU’ll get a chance to prove me wrong (about….thinking I’m wrong. Wait, what?). I won’t write that one up, though, I’ll focus on the BYU match tomorrow.
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