As they stepped onto the powder blue court of Pauley Pavilion, the Ohio State men’s volleyball players entered a scenario they had dreamed about for years.
The ESPN cameras were on them, 5,125 fans were screaming their names and they were facing the No. 1 team in the country in the Pepperdine Waves.
This is where the dream would end.
OSU fell to Pepperdine 3-0 in the second of two Final Four matches at UCLA on Thursday.
The Buckeyes hit .028 in game one and were clearly in awe of being in a game of that caliber, falling 30-16.
“(In the first game) we didn’t do so well because none of us have ever been to the Final Four, so we were rookies even for the fifth-year senior,” said sophomore middle hitter Layne Dreven. “It was kind of nerve-wracking, kind of intimidating to be there and we came out trying to do too much. We just kind of flopped and didn’t play our game right off the bat.”
Pepperdine (25-2, 20-2 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) took full advantage of OSU’s lack of experience. OSU hit 12 errors to Pepperdine’s two, which some of the players felt was an indication of too much adrenaline. Pepperdine opened up the match by scoring the first five points and took an 11-2 lead. The Buckeyes (24-7, 14-2 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) battled back, but could not overcome the lead of the Waves.
“We just kind of went out there,” said junior outside hitter Andy Cole. “We were a little shell-shocked and trying to take in the experience.”
Once the Buckeyes regained their composure, they played a solid game two and were barely defeated, losing 31-29. The game went back and forth, with 20 tied scores and seven lead changes. Dreven, Cole, junior outside hitter Mark Greaves and senior outside hitter Mike Wauligman contributed most of the scoring for the Buckeyes in game two. Pepperdine took a 29-28 game-point lead with a kill, but Dreven tied the game with a kill of his own, regaining serve for the Buckeyes. On that possession, a block from Pepperdine senior outside hitter Sean Rooney and sophomore middle blocker Tom Hulse gave the Waves a 30-29 lead before a Rooney ace ultimately ended the game.
“We adjusted well, we just missed a couple opportunities,” said Cole. “I don’t think I got the feeling that there was a lack of confidence. I think maybe the first time Sean Rooney went up to hit, the first time he did that we were like ‘whoa’, but we adjusted.”
Of all the players on the court, the most featured was Pepperdine’s Rooney. The AVCA National Player of the Year, MPSF Player of the Year, and NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player scored a game-high 25.5 points on 19 kills and a .357 hitting percentage against the Buckeyes. According to ESPN, Rooney will compete as a member of the U.S. National Team following his graduation from Pepperdine.
Game three was another battle, but once again the Buckeyes could not mount enough of a charge and fell 30-26. The lack of experience was evident in the final game, as the Buckeyes could not surge ahead on their chances. A costly OSU error followed by a Rooney ace put the Waves ahead 28-25, which eventually sealed the game and a Final Four victory for Pepperdine.
“We got outplayed just because (Pepperdine) had some guys that had been there before and that was our first,” said freshman Daniel Mathews. “They’re used to playing in front of larger crowds and that type of environment.”
Although Pepperdine might have been a better team that day, some of the players felt the Waves were not cordial and did not play with the attitude of a champion.
“They’re a very cocky team and they didn’t give us any respect in the (press conference) interview,” Dreven said. “(Coach Marv Dunphy) said they hadn’t seen us and they’re not really that worried. They were acting like we didn’t deserve to be there.”
Pepperdine ended their season winning 23 of their last 24 matches, including the NCAA Championship over UCLA (26-6) 3-2 on Saturday. Pepperdine also had three All-American selections as well with sophomore middle blocker Jon Parfitt, freshman setter Jonathan Winder and Rooney all being selected to the All-Tournament team. Greaves was the lone selection for the Buckeyes. He scored a team-high 16 points on 14 kills and two ace serves.
“He walks the walk, he doesn’t just talk,” Dreven said, referring to Rooney. “I have complete respect for him because he does do it all. He’s not just a big server, he’s a big blocker. He passes, he plays defense, he plays well. It’s tough to say bad things about the guy. He lives up to his reputation.”
Losing Rooney will be very costly for the Waves. The Buckeyes are losing just two seniors and look to build on their experiences from this year.
Cole said most of the players will try to be in contact with volleyball as much as they can in the offseason. He said many of his friends from home in Wisconsin play college volleyball so they will get together and play when they can.
Dreven said last year’s off-season was a time when he worked hard and said he gained his spot on the starting roster because of it.
“If you’re more dedicated to the team you’re gonna lift and workout and run,” Dreven said. “You’re gonna bust your butt so maybe the guy who’s better than you and more relaxed slacks off and doesn’t work as hard.”
Either way, the Buckeyes can be confident they will make a surge next year and compete once again for the NCAA Championship, to be held in University Park, Pa.
“Most of us have come back from this trip expecting to get back to Penn State,” Cole said. “Hopefully we can maybe schedule a trip early in the season to go out to California to play some of the top teams to get a better scouting report. As far as expectations, I don’t think anyone will expect anything less than a return trip.”
