Mia Tuman, 9, locks into a serve while battling for the Ohio State Women’s Volleyball Team on September 27, 2023. Credit: Lily Hynes | Lantern Photo Vault
After a grueling nonconference slate, the Ohio State women’s volleyball team is setting its sights on Big Ten play.
The Buckeyes are off to a 3-5 start after a tough nonconference slate that included top-25 foes Florida and Miami (FL), and now face a grueling conference schedule. “We learned a lot and had a lot of tough games,” head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said. “I think our nonconference set us up for the battles we are going to see inside the conference.”
Setter Mia Tuman said it was important for the team to grow from every experience.
“How we can learn after every match and continue to get better every single day has been the focus,” Tuman said.
Tuman ranks 13th in the Big Ten in assists per set with nine. She credits Fiona Finoti, a 2025 addition to the coaching staff, for her production this season.
Emily Londot, the team’s second all-time leader in kills, also made her way back to Columbus after her 2025 graduation and serves as an assistant coach. Early in the season, she helped the younger outside hitters learn how to be effective, even if they are undersized.
“Having that kind of voice in the gym was super helpful,” said outside hitter Reese Wuebker, who averages 2.88 kills per set.
Londot was the most impactful driver of the Buckeyes’ offense last season and has helped both starting outside hitters fill in the production left behind by the now-assistant coach.
Hannah Jones, a junior transfer from Memphis, contributes to a strong Buckeye offense in 2025. Her team-leading 3.75 kills per set and 136 points have made her the main focal point on attacks.
“There is still more in the tank,” Oldenburg said.
The middle blockers have also helped spark the Buckeye front when defending, including a record-setting 26 team blocks on Sunday against Troy, the second-most ever in a single match in the school’s history. Now, the focus is to bring them more into the fold on attacks.
“Kaia [Castle] and Ashley [Carr] have done a good job,” Oldenburg said. “We want to get them involved more.”
Oldenburg said defense needs to be a focus as the team heads into conference play, as the Buckeyes are still in the middle of the pack within the conference in digs per set, with 12.41.
“I don’t think we’re digging enough balls to put our hitters in better situations,” Oldenburg said.
This week, the message to the team has been about taking the underdog role within the Big Ten.
In the most recent AVCA Top 25 poll, six of the top 17 teams are Big Ten opponents on the Buckeyes’ schedule.
“Every night in the Big Ten is going to be a monster match,” Oldenburg said.
With a continuing mindset of growth each day, the Buckeyes have a premier opportunity to compete against two familiar West Coast foes.
They will open Big Ten play against the UCLA Bruins on Friday and the No. 17 USC Trojans on Saturday, both at the Covelli Center.
“We’ve grown so much, and I’m just excited to go into conference play and show everyone what we’ve been working on,” Tuman said.
