COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 15 Ohio State men’s volleyball team earned a hard-fought 3-1 win over Lindenwood on Friday night at the Covelli Center.
The Buckeyes (8-4, 3-1 MIVA) were led by a strong performance from senior outside hitter Jake Hanes, who recorded a match-high 23 kills on .395 hitting. Hanes also added 7 digs and 2 blocks to his stat line.
Ohio State also got significant contributions from junior middle blocker Blake Leeson, who had 10 kills on .533 hitting, and senior setter Sanil Thomas, who dished out 43 assists and had 2 kills.
Lindenwood (5-7, 1-3 MIVA) was led by senior outside hitter Adam Brewster, who had 17 kills on .235 hitting. The Lions also got 12 kills from junior middle blocker Nick Stevenson.
The first set was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to gain a significant advantage. Ohio State eventually took the set 25-23, thanks in large part to 7 kills from Hanes.
The second set was more of the same, with the Buckeyes and Lions trading points throughout. However, Ohio State was able to pull away late, taking the set 25-20.
Lindenwood refused to go quietly, however, and the Lions came out strong in the third set. Behind 6 kills from Brewster, Lindenwood took the set 25-22.
The fourth set was all Ohio State, as the Buckeyes dominated from start to finish. Hanes had 6 kills in the set, and Ohio State took it 25-15 to seal the match.
“I’m proud of our guys for bouncing back after a tough third set,” said Ohio State head coach Kevin Burch. “We made some adjustments and came out strong in the fourth set. Jake Hanes was incredible tonight, and our setters did a great job of distributing the ball to our hitters.”
The win marked Ohio State’s third straight, and the Buckeyes will look to keep their winning streak alive on Saturday when they host Quincy.
“We’re feeling good right now, but we know we have a tough match ahead of us tomorrow,” Burch said. “We need to stay focused and keep playing at a high level if we want to keep winning.”
_Match Stats:_
– Ohio State: Jake Hanes (23 kills, 7 digs, 2 blocks), Blake Leeson (10 kills, 3 blocks), Sanil Thomas (43 assists, 2 kills)
– Lindenwood: Adam Brewster (17 kills, 4 digs), Nick Stevenson (12 kills, 2 blocks)
_Match Notes:_
– The win marked Ohio State’s third straight.
– Jake Hanes’ 23 kills were a season-high.
– The Buckeyes have now won 5 of their last 6 matches.
Ohio State will look to keep their winning streak alive on Saturday when they host Quincy at 7:00 PM ET.
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