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No. 14 Ohio State will host Maryville and Missouri S&T this weekend. Credit: Katie Good | Asst. Photo Editor

Two recently formed men’s volleyball teams from Maryville and Missouri University of Science and Technology will come to the Covelli Center this weekend against the No. 14 Buckeyes.

This is the Miners’ second season and the Saints’ first as a men’s volleyball program.

Senior middle blocker Samuel Clark said the Buckeyes have prepared their own ability to get it done on the court against two programs Ohio State will play for the first time.

“We’re pretty confident,” Clark said. “End of the day, it comes down to us.”

Head coach Kevin Burch said the games come down to control, and he expects the Buckeyes to play up to their strengths during this two-game stretch.

“It’s always about controlling our side,” Burch said. “[We’ll] do everything we can to take advantage of our strengths and their weaknesses.”

Though their programs are relatively new to the NCAA, both teams are not without experience.

The Saints last season finished 19-11 with an average hitting percentage of 63.3. They started this season with a 3-1 win over Kentucky State Jan. 13.

In August 2021, Missouri S&T announced the new men’s volleyball program for the 2022-23 season. The Miners were swept in their first two matches, but prevailed 3-0 last time out Saturday also against Kentucky State.

On Jan. 9, the Independent Volleyball Association named  Missouri S&T freshman middle blocker Caleb Rohlwing as the Defensive Player of the Week with a total of nine blocks over their three matches against Loyola Chicago, Lewis University and Kentucky State.

In the first meeting between the programs, Clark said he’s looking forward to playing a new team to see different opponents.

“It’s always fun to play with a new team,” Clark said. 

On Jan. 10, Clark was named Offensive Player of the Week by the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Clark said he was “pretty surprised” by the conference recognition and credited his teammates, noting they help step up in order for Ohio State to work toward earning a win each time out on the court.

After Ohio State’s loss Saturday against then-No. 9 Grand Canyon, Clark said he felt the Buckeyes “played solid,” and they’re focused on improving their serving in practice. 

Burch said he thinks one of strategies Ohio State might see from the opponents in these matches is the back row defensive players coming strong against some of the Buckeye hitters. 

To combat such scenarios, the team is coming prepared to the match with pre-made and practiced “default adaptations.” These adaptations, signaled by coaches or players on the court, are ways in which the team can automatically shift strategies when a previous approach may not have worked out or the players were able to find a weakness from the opposing team to take advantage of and move forward in the game. 

Burch said he’s confident in the promise of Ohio State’s team this season, saying an increased rotation of players is likely to be in the cards against Maryville and Missouri S&T, and he has sights on accomplishing a large goal. 

“We have a core group of starters with a lot of experience under their belt,” Burch said. “From what I’ve seen, we can definitely push for a conference title.” 

The Buckeyes will host Maryville at 7 p.m. Friday and Missouri S&T at 7 p.m. Saturday. These games will be broadcast through Big Ten Network Plus.