Penn State men's volleyball looks to sweep No. 1 Ohio State

Penn State men’s volleyball looks to sweep No. 1 Ohio State in its match on Jan. 28.

The team is coming off its biggest victory of the season in a 3-1 win over the same Buckeyes team.

This will be the final match of a three-match stretch of facing the No. 1 team in the country. Penn State took on then-No. 1 UCLA in Austin before the back-to-back against the Buckeyes.

Last season, the Nittany Lions defeated Ohio State in Columbus 3-1, as well, but then dropped its home match to the Buckeyes 3-2.

This season, the blue and white will look to avoid a repeat of its previous season against the scarlet and gray.

The Nittany Lions came out victorious after a set that seemed all for Ohio State’s taking. In the fourth set, the Buckeyes had leads of 16-12, 22-20 and had set point at 24-23.

Despite this, the Nittany Lions fought back and pulled out the set and match 29-27.

The squad used a well-rounded attack to take down the Buckeyes. Four players hit double digits in kills, including Toby Ezeonu who led the team with 14 and had a .500 kill percentage on the match.

Ezeonu’s success was key in the victory. He had a combined nine kills in the previous two losses while hitting well under his .536 percent kill rate average on the season.

Ezeonu will be the main focus for the Buckeyes defensively in the second showdown.

The Nittany Lions must rely on their outside hitters, Michael Kowal and Michael Valenzi. Both hitters had double-digit kills in the victory and could play an even bigger role in the rematch to open things up in the middle.

Kowal fell just a kill shy of his season high of 11, which he had against then-No. 16 Lewis.

The blue and white’s defense will be another thing to look for in the rematch.

Ohio State had a .200 kill percentage in the loss, which is well under its .279 percent average.

However, redshirt freshman Daniel Hurley made a major impact. He set a career-high with 16 kills in his first career start for the Buckeyes.

Hurley, looking as if he’s breaking out, will have to be a major focal point for the Nittany Lions.

The Buckeyes were without AVCA Player of the Week Jacob Pasteur, and his availability in the rematch will be critical for both teams.

If Pasteur returns, a duo of Hurley and Pasteur could create problems for the Nittany Lions on the defensive side.

With its fifth match in two years, and second in four days, the match should be even more competitive and closer with the familiarity of the teams being on display.

This time, the crowd, in all white, will be on the Nittany Lions' side.

Andrew Deal is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email asd5765@psu.edu