Nebraska Volleyball Travels to Ohio State

#2 Nebraska (17-1) vs. Ohio State (8-9)

When: Saturday, October 19th 2024, 2:30 pm (CT)

Where: Covelli Center Columbus, OH

Watch: NBC

Radio: Husker Radio Network

Live stats

Twenty hours after Nebraska left the Breslin Center court in East Lansing, MI with a three set win over Michigan State, they take to the Covelli Center court in Columbus, OH to take on Ohio State. When you think about the logistics of travel plus the cool down and warm up routines that also had to happen during that time, you hope Huskers were able to sleep.

Ohio State played yesterday as well. They hosted Penn State and started the match at 8 pm ET. The match went to five sets with PSU winning 16-14 in the fifth set. It finished at 1055 pm ET. OSU had even less time than Nebraska to recover from their match last night. They have only won one Big Ten Conference match. They are 1-6 in conference play.

All these facts make it sound like this will be a simple win for Nebraska but that would be a mistake to think that way. The Buckeyes gave the Nittany Lions all they could handle in those five sets last night. The Buckeyes record does not indicate how well they can play.

We can learn from the Buckeye strategy against Penn State what to expect against Nebraska. OSU served and served and continued to serve Penn State’s top outside hitter, Jess Mruzik. They did not stop the entire match. Ohio State will serve to Harper Murray in a similar manner to try to increase the load Murray needs to carry.

Of course, the key to defeating this strategy is to simply pass serve well. Murray was the main target for Purdue’s serves. She passed 50 balls on serve receive in that five set match. She did it well and allowed her setter, Bergen Reilly, to set whomever she chose. When Murray was interviewed earlier this week she said that she expects to be served. She said, “if I was playing against us, I would serve me too. I wouldn’t serve Lexi (Rodriguez)”.

Keys to beating Ohio State include limiting the kills of right side hitter Emily Londot. She is a 6’3’’ graduate student who hits the ball with a great deal of force. She took 59 swings against Penn State and earned 19 kills. Londot is the go to player for Ohio State.

Freshman outside hitter, Emmi Sellman, has come on strong in the past few weeks for Ohio State. Against Penn State last night, Sellman had 63 swings and 27 kills. She plays all six rotations so Nebraska will serve to her in an effort to overload her physically and mentally.

Nebraska aims to improve their blocking as that skill was the main concern in the five set match against Purdue. Huskers were out-blocked by Boilermakers 24-11. That is an area that needs improvement. Sellman, for OSU, can be a great test of the Husker block. They need to be able to shut an outside hitter down.

They could not do it against Eva Hudson and Chloe Chicoine of Purdue. Sellman does not have the experience of those Boilermaker outside hitters but she sure swings away. Husker blockers need to take away space at the net while pressing hands over.

Watch the Nebraska blocking against this heavy hitting Ohio State team. Look for improved touches to slow the ball down for floor defenders. Also look for more blocked balls to fall for points. Buckeyes will hit hard. If Huskers are blocking with good form and timing those balls should return to the Buckeye court with great speed.

The match will be televised on NBC and Nebraska will look to get their third sweep in a row and head back to Lincoln undefeated in B1G play.

#2 Nebraska (17-1)

#2 Bergen Reilly 6’1” SO Setter
#5 Rebekah Allick 6’4” JR MB
#6 Laney Choboy 5’3” SO DS/L
#7 Maisie Boesiger 5’6” JR DS/L
#8 Lexi Rodriguez 5’5” SR DS/L
#9 Kennedi Orr 6’0” SR Setter
#10 Olivia Mauch 5’6” FR DS/L
#11 Leyla Blackwell 6’4” SR MB
#12 Taylor Landfair 6’5” SR OH
#13 Merritt Beason 6’4” SR OH
#15 Andi Jackson 6’3” SO MB
#21 Skyler Pierce 6’2” FR OH
#22 Lindsay Krause 6’4” SR OH
#27 Harper Murray 6’2” SO OH

Ohio State (8-9)

#1 Ava Shankle 6’0’’ FR RS
#3 Ella Wrobel 6’4’’ JR OH
#4 Kamiah Gibson 6’1’’ JR Setter
#6 Olivia Hasbrook 5’8’’ FR DS
#9 Mia Tuman 6’0’’ SO Setter
#10 Lauren Murphy 6’4’’ SO OH
#11 Sydney Taylor 5’9’’ SR DS
#12 Meghan McCann 5’9’’ SR DS
#14 Emmi Sellman 6’4’’ FR OH
#15 Kaitlyn Hoffman 5’8’’ SO DS
#17 Reese Wuebker 5’9’’ FR OH
#18 Abby Yoder 5’10’’ FR Setter
#19 Kaia Castle 6’4’’ FR MB
#20 Rylee Rader 6’2’’ GR MB
#21 Zaria Ragler 6’0’’ R/SO MB
#22 Emily Londot 6’3’’ GR OH
#23 Grace Egan 6’1’’ R/FR OH
#31 Eloise Brandewie 6’3’’ SO MB