Saturday, March 23
Fort Wayne, Ind.
7 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne
3
vs
2
Ohio State
Photo by: Lucas Carter
Mastodons Knock off Eighth Ranked Buckeyes
3/23/2013 8:06:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
BOX SCORE
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Ohio State became the second straight ranked opponent this season to come into the Gates Sports Center and leave on the losing side of the scoreboard, as the Mastodons knocked off eighth ranked Buckeyes 3-2 (28-26, 17-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-9) in the 100th all-time meeting between the two squads.
Eddie Rivera and Andy Sellan each led IPFW with 15 kills, while Anthony Randolph chipped in 10. Omar Rivera dished out 48 assists, while he, Sellan, and JW Kiekhefer each added a service ace in the win. Rob Samp blocked a team-high seven kill attempts, as IPFW narrowly out-blocked the Buckeyes 17.0-to-16.5. Luis Bertran had his seventh straight double-figure dig match, as his 10 also led the team.
On March 9, Penn State came into the Gates Sports Center ranked 10th in the country, only to see the Mastodons win in five sets. The win is IPFW's third over a ranked opponent this season, as the 'Dons also defeated George Mason in five sets in Long Beach, Calif.
A thrilling first set saw the Mastodons (10-9, 4-6 MIVA) lead by as many as five at 10-5, before the Buckeyes (15-5, 7-3 MIVA) clawed their way back, taking a one-point, 19-18 lead late in the set. Nine of the ten's tie scores came after the teams were tied at 18, as a short run by either team was quickly countered by the other, as the teams tied each other at every score from 18 until the finish.
Tied at 26 apiece, IPFW got a kill from Eddie Rivera to have the hosts serve for set point, which the Mastodons took advantage and got a combo block from Rob Samp and Andy Sellan to give the 'Dons a 28-26 first-set win.
The second set started as a continuation of the first, as the teams found themselves tied at nine apiece before the Buckeyes ran off a 4-0 run, and never trailed again in the frame. IPFW fought back to within three at 20-17, before Ohio State ended the set on a 5-0 run to close out the frame with a 25-17 victory.
IPFW led early in the third set at 5-4, as the Buckeyes forced sideouts on each of the next seven Mastodon serves, pushing ahead to a 17-12 lead before the 'Dons could again string together back-to-back points. Down by five, IPFW scored three straight, utilizing back-to-back OSU attack errors to close the gap to 17-15.
The Mastodons would get only as close as two the rest of the way, with the Buckeyes closing the match on a service error, putting the guests a set away from the victory.
IPFW fought back in the fourth set and never trailed, leading by as many as six at 17-11; however, Ohio State would not go away, closing to within as few as two - as late as 24-22 - before Anthony Randolph closed the door on any potential comeback with a powerful kill down the left side of the court, sending the match into a fifth and deciding set.
The 'Dons never trailed in the fifth set, as the squad jumped out to a quick 3-1 lead, capped by a combo block from Omar Rivera and Ramon Burgos. Ohio State cut the deficit to one at 5-4; however, IPFW used a 6-2 run to push ahead by five at 11-6.
Ohio State closed to within three at 12-9, but a Sellan kill, an Eddie Rivera block, and an attack error closed the door on the match, giving the Mastodons the win.
The Mastodons remain at home for the next weekend, as the squad will host Pfeiffer on March 29, and Limestone on March 30.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
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