Ohio State excellence is not exclusive to the football field or the basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed of the amazing things happening with the other 34 varsity sports on campus.
You may have noticed, this isn't the regular time for Around the Oval. We postponed publishing this piece due to yesterday's events on campus. I would like to start off this rendition of Around the Oval by expressing my gratitude for the Ohio State community and the law enforcement who so bravely ensured the safety of all of us here around the oval.
women's volleyball caps off regular season with two wins
The Ohio State women's volleyball team capped off its regular season with two home wins over Purdue and Indiana on Friday and Saturday night. The Buckeyes battled with the Boilermakers and the Hoosiers each for five sets but came out on top in the end. The team ended the season 20-12.
In the Friday night matchup, Ohio State defeated Purdue 25-1, 19-25, 16-25, 25-20, 19-17. Senior Taylor Sandbothe led the Buckeyes with 22 points. Luisa Schirmer closely followed with 17 points. Audra Appold and Madison Smeathers each had 10 points a piece. Valeria Leon continued her domination of the all-time digs record with 19 for the night.
The Saturday matchup against the Hoosiers was not only the final home game of the season but also senior night for the Buckeyes. The home team locked up the victory in five sets, 25-14, 21-25, 25-17, 16-25, 15-11. Sandbothe put down an impressive 25 points in her final game in St. John's Arena. Smeathers and Taylor Hughes had 14 points a piece.
Taylor Sandbothe ranks 19th in the nation with 567.0 points thus far in 2016.#OSUWVBtribe #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/k95OGpAUQI
— OhioStateWVolleyball (@ohiostatewvball) November 29, 2016
Ohio State will say goodbye to a pair of valuable and historic players in Leon, the all-time digs leader, and Sandbothe, the all time blocks leader.
The Buckeyes earned an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament and will compete in Manhattan, Kansas Friday December 2 against Missouri State at 6 p.m. Ohio State will join four other B1G teams in the tournament. This will mark the Buckeyes 22nd NCAA Tournament appearance.
"Volleyball is such a beautiful game. Whoever brings the heart is going to win. We've been focusing on that," Sandbothe said of the team's upcoming NCAA Tournament appearance.
The opening set Friday night will mark No. 500 for Valeria Len in her record-breaking career.#OSUWVBtribe #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/HDRADbPR3K
— OhioStateWVolleyball (@ohiostatewvball) November 29, 2016
Hughes and Sandbothe both earned All-B1G honors for the year. Sandbothe was unanimously selected to the All-B1G team for the second year in a row and Hughes received honorable mention.
Hockey Hockey Hockey
The Ohio State men's and women's hockey teams had the weekend off but things are looking up for the Buckeye hockey program. The men's team is ranked No. 10 in the country which is kind of a big deal for Ohio State hockey.
With weekend off, @UMDMensHockey stays No. 1.@OhioState_MHKY breaks into top 10 for first time since 2012.https://t.co/HDPcqckKKe pic.twitter.com/NAKXqNIavO
— NCAA Ice Hockey (@NCAAIceHockey) November 28, 2016
The Buckeyes will open up B1G play this Friday at Minnesota. The women's team will be home this weekend against North Dakota at 6 p.m.
Go Bucks!
The Game – Crew Edition
Earlier this month, the Ohio State and Michigan men's club crew teams met for the 23rd time in history in a duel to end their respective seasons. The event, called the WolverBuck Oar, took place on the Scioto Mile in downtown Columbus.
Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, it didn't quite go their way. Michigan won the event by a final score of 22-0 and extended its series lead to 21-2. Although the team did manage a second-place finish in the varsity four with a time of 10:23.4.
The result is nothing to hang their heads about – Ohio State put up a heck of a fight against one of the top clubs in the nation. The Wolverines' varsity eight received every first place vote in the final American Collegiate Rowing Association poll of the spring 2016 season.
The Ohio State Crew Club has a rich history of its own. Founded in 1978, the team has produced several U.S. National Team members and Olympians all while being completely self-funded.
After a few months off, the Buckeyes will compete again in the spring, beginning with the Midwest Championship Erg Sprints on February 27th in Columbus, Ohio.
