2008 Woodie Awards
MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Buckeyes beat Cards, win MIVA
OSU repeats as champs to get first-round bye, tourney in Columbus
Vinnie Lopes
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Standing at the end of the St. John Arena court, the No. 8 Ball State University men's volleyball team could only stare across the net and watch the No. 9 Ohio State University players jump on each other in celebration.
The Buckeyes defeated the Cardinals 28-30, 30-27, 30-23, 30-23 on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio to clinch the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular-season championship.
"We played well in game one, and then I just felt we came out a little bit flatter, and it seemed like we lost energy," libero Ian Peckler. "They came out and played like they wanted it more than we did. That's simply what it came down to."
With the win, Ohio State (17-7, 10-1 MIVA) became the second team in the last 10 years to win back-to-back regular-season MIVA championships. In addition, the Buckeyes will receive a first-round bye in the MIVA tournament and will play host to the conference tournament semi-finals and championship match.
With one game remaining in the regular season, there is still a chance Ball State (18-9, 9-2 MIVA) can finish tied for the first place. However, after Thursday's match the Buckeyes hold the tiebreaker between the two teams.
Coach Joel Walton said he is disappointed to not win the regular season title, but he is still confident his team can win its first championship since 2002.
"It's just one more challenge for our guys to face," Walton said.
Walton said the biggest reason Ohio State won Thursday was because of Ball State not being able to pass the Buckeyes' serves.
Ohio State finished the match with nine serving aces and Ball State had a season-high nine receiving errors. Also, the Buckeyes had six fewer serving errors than the Cardinals.
"There were a couple of serves that got us off balance," Walton said. "It seemed liked we lost a little bit of confidence, or we just weren't sure where they were going to serve the ball, so we were a step behind when we made passes."
The Buckeyes defeated the Cardinals 28-30, 30-27, 30-23, 30-23 on Thursday in Columbus, Ohio to clinch the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular-season championship.
"We played well in game one, and then I just felt we came out a little bit flatter, and it seemed like we lost energy," libero Ian Peckler. "They came out and played like they wanted it more than we did. That's simply what it came down to."
With the win, Ohio State (17-7, 10-1 MIVA) became the second team in the last 10 years to win back-to-back regular-season MIVA championships. In addition, the Buckeyes will receive a first-round bye in the MIVA tournament and will play host to the conference tournament semi-finals and championship match.
With one game remaining in the regular season, there is still a chance Ball State (18-9, 9-2 MIVA) can finish tied for the first place. However, after Thursday's match the Buckeyes hold the tiebreaker between the two teams.
Coach Joel Walton said he is disappointed to not win the regular season title, but he is still confident his team can win its first championship since 2002.
"It's just one more challenge for our guys to face," Walton said.
Walton said the biggest reason Ohio State won Thursday was because of Ball State not being able to pass the Buckeyes' serves.
Ohio State finished the match with nine serving aces and Ball State had a season-high nine receiving errors. Also, the Buckeyes had six fewer serving errors than the Cardinals.
"There were a couple of serves that got us off balance," Walton said. "It seemed liked we lost a little bit of confidence, or we just weren't sure where they were going to serve the ball, so we were a step behind when we made passes."
Be the first to comment on this story