LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree's men's volleyball team takes down #17 Ohio State in a thrilling five-set match. The Bearcats redeemed the five-set loss to the Buckeyes in the final week of the regular season, starting the postseason with an exclamation win.
McKendree came into the match determined and resilient, taking the first two sets 25-18. Ohio State did not go away quietly, taking the third set 25-21 and the fourth set 25-22. In the battle that made up the fifth set, the Bearcats persevered, coming out on top 15-12.
McKendree grabbed the first point of the match in set one after a Buckeyes service error. From there, the Bearcats did not let the lead slip out of their reach. After a kill from graduate outside hitter
Tyler Tripp, the Bearcats jumped out to an early 6-3 lead. McKendree would soon find themselves on a three-point run, highlighted by a kill from Tripp and a service ace from junior setter
Nate Flayter, to grab a lead of four points. Back-to-back kills from Tripp would put the Bearcats up 16-11. McKenderee would reach the 20-point mark off back-to-back Buckeyes errors. A kill from none other than Tripp would give the Bearcats set-point, and a block from senior middle blocker
Rolen Lively and Tripp would put McKendree up 1-0 on the match.
The Bearcats opened the second set with back-to-back points, highlighted by a block from redshirt senior outside hitter
Sam Hoskin, Lively, and Flayter. McKendree would get their next three points off Ohio State service errors. The Bearcats would earn a four-point lead after a run of three points, composed of kills from senior opposite
Bryce Wetjen and Tripp, and a service ace from redshirt sophomore
Will Klimek. The Buckeyes would respond with their own run of three points to bring the score back within one at 8-7. An ace from Lively would bring McKendree back up three points. The Bearcats would follow with a 6-1 run to extend their lead to seven points, highlighted by kills from Hoskin and Wetjen. Ohio State would continue to challenge McKendree, but the Bearcats remained unfazed. A Buckeyes service error would give McKendree set-point, and a kill from Hoskin would give the Bearcats a dominant 2-0 lead on the match.
Set three began back and forth, with Ohio State and McKendree teetering points between one another. After a block from Tripp, Lively, and Flayter put the Bearcats up one point, the Buckeyes came to life, going on a 7-1 run to take control of a must-win set at 14-9. McKendree would get back within two points with a three-point run made up of three Ohio State errors. The Buckeyes would respond with a 6-2 run, leaving the score at 21-15. The Bearcats did not go down without a fight, going on a 6-2 run late in the set, highlighted by kills from Hoskin and Flayter, to bring McKendree within two points at 23-21. Ohio State would end the set with back-to-back points to extend the match.
The Buckeyes grabbed control of the fourth set early. After Ohio State went on a 7-1 run to take a five-point lead early at 11-6. The Bearcats would chip away at the lead the Buckeyes built, but could not seem to grasp onto enough momentum to take control of the set. McKendree would get within two points late in the set at 22-20 with back-to-back kills from Hoskin. An Ohio State kill would reach set point for the Buckeyes. The Bearcats would fight off one set point with a kill from Wetjen, leaving the score at 24-22. A McKendree error would end the set and even the match score at 2-2.
Set five was a back-and-forth battle from the start. Neither team allowed the other to take full control. The Bearcats were in the driver's seat early, after gaining back-to-back points with a kill from Hoskin and a block from Klimek and Wetjen, to take their first lead at 3-2. From there, the score was knotted seven times with Ohio State always playing catch up. At 9-9, back-to-back kills from Wetjen would push McKendree past the 10-point mark. A Buckeyes error would give the Bearcats set and match point, but a McKendree service error would leave the score at 14-12, leaving the door open for Ohio State. The Buckeyes would follow with a service error to end the match and send the Bearcats to the semifinals.
Flayter notched 37 assists, leading McKendree's offense to a .286 hitting percentage. Hoskin had the hot hand in tonight's match, recording 13 kills. Hoskin was followed by Tripp and Wetjen each, with 12 kills.
Defensively, graduate libero
Yadiel Diaz led the back court with 11 digs, followed by Tripp with nine digs and Hoskin with seven digs. At the net, the Bearcats tallied 11.5 total blocks (2 BS, 19 BA). Lively (5 BA), Wetjen (1 BS, 3 BA), and Flayer (1 BS, 3 BA) led, each with 2.5 total blocks.
UP NEXT: McKendree is headed to Muncie, Ind. to take on No. 1 seeded Ball State in the MIVA Semifinals on Wednesday, Apr. 22. Stay tuned for updates on the match time.
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