The seventh-ranked Ohio State men's volleyball team lost to No. 13 Loyola Chicago on Saturday in its second game of the season.
The Buckeyes (14-4, 8-2 MIVA), who are 9-1 at home this season, defeated Loyola Chicago (14-4, 8-2 MIVA) in a thrilling five-set match at Covelli Center in Columbus. They lost to MIVA (11 wins, 8 losses, 6 wins, 3 losses).
Despite the loss, senior libero Thomas Poole said he still has just as much confidence in his team.
“This is a tough group of players and we made a lot of mental mistakes today,” Poole said. “But I'm going to lead the whole team more than any other player. So tomorrow will just be a new day.”
Sophomore opposite hitter Shane Wetzel led the Buckeye attack with 24 kills. Senior outside hitter Jacob Pasteur followed with 19.
Junior outside hitter Kyle Thune had a season-high 12 kills.
Wetzel and senior libero Thomas Poole led the Ohio State defense with nine points each, and redshirt senior setter Michael Wright contributed with 56 assists.
The first set of the game started with a kill by Wetzel, and the Ramblers responded with a kill of his own from redshirt junior outside hitter Parker Van Buren.
Loyola Chicago then briefly extended its lead until a Rambler error tied the score at 10 apiece. The set remained close, with the Ramblers reaching 20 points first on a strong hit from freshman outside hitter Daniel Fabikovich.
A goal from senior middle blocker Jimmy Meinhart gave Loyola Chicago a 23-20 lead, and an ace from Van Buren gave the Ramblers a 25-22 victory to end the first set.
Wetzel's ace gave the Buckeyes the lead to start the second set. Loyola Chicago responded with multiple kills to take a 4-3 lead.
Momentum returned to Ohio State, and Pasteur's ace gave his team a five-point lead. Pasteur then scored on back-to-back kills to put the Buckeyes in front 21-16.
A Rambler's service error forced Ohio State to set point, and Teune's termination ended the second set with a 25-20 Buckeye victory.
Ohio State opened the third set with a 5-2 lead. Loyola Chicago responded with a 3-point run to tie the score at 5-5.
Both teams traded leads throughout the set, but a Buckeye offensive error put the Ramblers on top 22-20. Ohio State tied the game at 25-25 on Pasteur's kill.
The set was extended beyond regulation, with two offensive errors by the Buckeyes, and Loyola Chicago won 30-28.
Ohio State regained momentum in the fourth set, taking a 10-4 lead on Pasteur's kill. A Buckeye error and a Van Buren kill brought the score back within four points.
Despite the Ramblers' efforts, Ohio State remained dominant in the fourth, increasing the score to 24-14. A kill from junior middle blocker Nikodemos Meyer kept Loyola Chicago alive for one last point, and the Buckeyes took the set 25-15.
The Ramblers took a 3-0 lead to begin the fifth and final set. They maintained the lead until an attack error tied the score at 9 points.
Fabikovich's kill and multiple errors by Ohio State put the Ramblers back on top, winning the set-and-match 15-12.
After the match, Coach Theune said the team had the chance and ability to adapt from the loss.
“The biggest thing about losses is always growing and learning from them,” Tune said. “The next few days we can go back and look at the film and see what we can improve on.”
The Buckeyes continue their tough schedule with a game against No. 11 USC on Friday at the Galen Center in Los Angeles to begin the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge.