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Freshman middle blocker Arica Davis (14) goes up for a spike during the Ohio State-Notre Dame match Sunday Sept. 19th. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Gabe Haferman | Assistant Photo Editor

The Ohio State women’s volleyball team closed out its first weekend of Big Ten play with a 3-0 loss to the Penn State Nittany Lions Sunday in University Park, Pennsylvania. 

It was a back-and-forth first set with neither team scoring more than three-consecutive points. The Buckeyes (10-2) got their middles involved early to help them get the first lead of the set, 7-4. Penn State (9-3) came back to tie the set at eight, and led 15-13 at the media timeout after a service ace.

The Nittany Lions continued their lead with two-consecutive kills to force a Buckeyes timeout, 18-14. Ohio State fought back with back-to-back kills by sophomore opposite hitter Emily Londot and freshman middle hitter Arica Davis, but were unable to take the lead. A kill by senior opposite hitter Jonni Parker won Penn State set one, 25-19. 

Ohio State went on a 4-0 run in set two for an early, 7-4 lead. Both teams exchanged back-to-back points, until a tough defense by senior setter Gabby Blossom helped Penn State to get within one point of the Buckeyes at the media timeout, 14-15. 

After the media timeout, Penn State went on a 4-0 run to force an Ohio State timeout. Londot stopped the Penn State run with a kill to get her tenth kill of the match. Ohio State regained the lead and had a set point from a kill by sophomore middle hitter Rylee Rader, 24-23. 

The Nittany Lions refused to give up the set, and scored the next two points to get a set point of their own, 26-24. Rader got another kill to tie the match at 25, but Penn State scored the next two points to take the second set 27-25. 

It was a battle of the middles to start set three with Rader and senior middle hitter Kaitlyn Hord exchanging kills. The Buckeyes were first to take the lead with a 3-0 run to go up 6-2. Ohio State maintained a lead until the Nittany Lions tied the set at 11 with a 3-0 run of their own.

Ohio State led 15-14 at the media timeout with a kill from Rader to her in double-digit kills, but the Nittany Lions had some kills of their own to take their first lead of the set, 17-16. The Buckeyes regained their lead at 21-20, but began to struggle controlling the ball on their side of the net. Penn State took advantage, scoring the final five points of the match to win 25-21.

The Buckeyes host Indiana for their Big Ten home opener in the Covelli Center Wednesday at 6 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.