The Ohio State men’s volleyball team’s play resembled an amusement park ride in its Wednesday night match against George Mason.
But the ride finished well as OSU beat George Mason in the final game 15-11, for a 3-2 victory.
“I told the guys at the end of game five — the roller-coaster was at its high point, and that’s a nice way to finish,” said OSU men’s volleyball coach Pete Hanson. “We’re very up and down right now. You can look at our roster right now and see some youth and some inexperience.”
OSU opened the match by losing the first game 30-28, but the team rallied to win the next two games.
“I think we made plays when we had to, but we made a lot of errors at the beginning,” said Adam Pedersen, middle hitter.
The intensity level was high, and the momentum shifted between the teams throughout the five-game match. After the Patriots won the fourth game, the two teams were deadlocked at two wins apiece.
It was an intimate crowd, mostly composed of friends and family, but in the deciding fifth game, the fans came to life.
The Buckeyes stormed out to an early game lead. George Mason charged back, but several serving errors hurt the Patriots. As the game continued, setter Mark Peckham lightly tapped a shot over the net, extending the lead.
“I try to involve myself in the offense as much as I can with those little plays,” Peckham said. “Mostly I try to set the other guys, because that’s where the power is.”
Peckham dished out 58 sets in the game.
With the score at 14-11, outside hitter Tom Trantow ended the game with authority, slamming the ball between the Patriots for his 23rd kill of the game.
“You know you’re going to get set, and I like that,” Trantow said. “I’d rather know that I have a chance to do something and step up.”
The No. 13 Buckeyes, at 2-0 for the season, head to warmer climates to face the University of California at San Diego.
“UC San Diego is not UCLA,” Hanson said. ” From a standpoint, it’s not the best team we could play, but certainly not the worst opponent. For a young team finding its way, I think it’s a good opponent.”
After playing only two games this season, the Buckeyes are still trying to find their rhythm.
“I think we have to steady out the game,” Trantow said. “We play with emotion, but the problem is when we’re not doing good, our tail is between our legs.”
We just have to play more consistent.”
