Daniel Mathews has been the setter on the men’s volleyball team for three years, but was not always comfortable leading the Ohio State offense in the past.
“I am sort of coming of age this year because I am starting to finally learn the position and get in touch with all aspects of it,” the junior said.
Mathews’ offensive leadership this season has contributed to the Buckeyes’ undefeated record. His position, however, comes with responsibility. His teammates’ touches on the ball depend on his contact with the ball. He has to know where his players are on the court and where they want the ball to be placed. He has control over the pace of the offense.
Because he touches the ball on every play he has the most opportunity to make mistakes, which is why his position comes with stress, he said. But he found the silver lining in all the pressure.
“It is stressful because I want to play my best for my teammates because I love them, so when I do play well it makes it that much more rewarding because I know they will play well,” he said.
Mathews said the leadership role that comes with his position was a harder challenge to take on than the physical part of the game, but he said he tries to be a calm, level-headed player. Sometimes, though, he said his competitiveness gets in the way.
The Buckeyes’ most recent win came Friday against St. Francis 3-0 (30-24, 30-19, 30-21). Twelfth-ranked OSU hit .476, which more than doubled the Red Flash’s hitting percentage. Lead scorer for the Buckeyes was middle hitter Layne Dreven with 14.5 points. Outside hitter Robbie Klein added 13. Dreven had 10 kills and hit .769, adding three ace serves and three assist blocks. Klein had a team-high 12 kills (.476) and two assist blocks.
Dreven said he was happy with the job he did on the court Friday, but said the major factor in the win was intensity, a lot of it coming from Mathews.
“He is possibly the hardest worker I have ever seen,” Dreven said. “He will lift the day of a game just because he wants to be in shape.”
Dreven said he feels comfortable knowing Mathews is on the court with him and wouldn’t trade his setter for any other one from any other team.
“I can’t think of anyone else in the country right now I would rather have then him,” the senior said. “He is so dedicated to the sport and this team.”
Dreven said Mathews’ level-headed intensity contributes to the setter’s focus on the court and can only describe Mathews’ style of play with a matter of fact statement: “He gets it done.”
Coach Pete Hanson is pleased with the team’s offensive performance and gives a lot of the credit to Mathews.
“Daniel is really doing a nice job of getting all our hitters involved and really distributing the ball well,” Hanson said.
He calls Mathews the team’s “offensive leader,” and said the junior’s ability to make fast decisions in a high pressure position came with time.
“He is getting information from all over and instantaneously processing it … but he has been doing it for a long time,” Hanson said. “He understands the role.
The Buckeyes play next in back-to-back games against Rutgers-Newark on Friday and Carthage on Saturday.
Mathews said he had to work hard to gain the understanding of his role but now that he feels comfortable in it, he is enjoying each game.
“I love the game of volleyball so much more now because my position on the court,” he said.
Lauren Polinsky can be reached at [email protected].
