After beating Springfield on Saturday, the Ohio State men’s volleyball team suffered its first home loss of the season to the Pride on Sunday.
The Buckeyes appeared to have the match wrapped up with a two games to none lead, but the resilient Pride did not back down.
“We have this mentality now that when bad things start to happen, it’s like each individual doesn’t want to be involved in the solution,” OSU coach Pete Hanson said. “Well, if I’m not involved, then I can’t be blamed for the error. Well, if you’re not involved, then you can’t make the play to get us over the hump, and that’s what we’re fighting with. It’s like everybody wants to desert a sinking ship, instead of paddling harder.”
OSU had no trouble on Saturday winning the match in three straight games 30-20, 30-21 and 30-23. Outside hitter Tom Trantow had 16 kills, and middle hitter Adam Pedersen added 12 in the victory. OSU only needed 80 minutes to claim the victory, but the next night would prove more difficult.
Winning the first two games Sunday, the Buckeyes seemed to be using their size advantage, but Springfield employed a strategy to use OSU’s size against them. OSU was taller at the net than Springfield, so a number of times when the Buckeyes jumped up to block the Pride’s kills, Springfield would lightly tap the ball over the outstretched fingertips of the OSU players.
“It’s awful,” Trantow said of the tips. “You want it so bad, and guys are diving, and it’s not like they aren’t trying. It’s a smart play by them (Springfield) and we didn’t respond by making the adjustments. Sometimes you want to bite your hand off, or do something — and I’ve learned not to yell at the guys, because I’ve been there.”
As the match continued, it was obvious the momentum switched in the third game, and unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they could not get it back.
“We won the first two games, and thought we could coast through the rest of the game — and they proved us wrong,” said outside hitter Mike Wauligman. “They played with a little more emotion and they beat us.”
With a league match Friday against Clarke, OSU hopes to rebound from Sunday’s disappointment.
“We have to have a good week of practice,” Hanson said. “We have to change where these guys are with their heads. They have to prove something on a daily basis that they’re going to be better than the guys across the net.”
