The Ohio State men's volleyball team rallies during a 3-1 loss to Loyola Chicago on March 2 at Covelli Center.Credit: Aiden Ridgway | Aiden Ridgway Lantern Photographer
Ohio State remained undefeated against USC in the regular season with the late-night victory.
The No. 8 Buckeyes (15-4, 8-2 MIVA) defeated the No. 12 Trojans (10-9, 2-4 MPSF) on Friday in Los Angeles.
Fourth-year outside hitter Jacob Pasteur led the Ohio State offense with 15 kills, followed by sophomore opposite hitter Shane Wetzel with 11 kills. Senior libero Thomas Poole led the defense with seven digs, and redshirt senior setter Michael Wright contributed with 35 assists.
The first set started with an Ohio State service error that gave USC its first points. The teams traded points and sophomore outside hitter Dillon Cline scored to give the Trojans an 11-9 lead.
Redshirt junior and opposite hitter Jack Duchar scored to extend USC's lead to five points, and the Trojans held the lead despite a Buckeye attack error that cut the score to 20-15. An Ohio State service error forced USC to set point, but a 3-0 run by the Buckeyes pulled it within two points.
Despite the delay in play, the Trojans won the first set 25-22 due to an Ohio State net violation.
The Buckeyes took an 8-4 lead to begin the second set, led by kills from Pasteur and Wetzel. Junior outside hitter Kyle Thune extended the lead to seven points with two points.
Wetzel's ace made it 17-7, and Ohio State reached 20 points on a USC error. Wright's ace and Trojan error gave the Buckeyes a 13-point lead and forced them to set point.
Pasteur's kill gave Ohio State a decisive victory in the second set, 25-11.
The third set started with USC leading 5-3 on a strong hit from freshman middle blocker Wesley Smith. Freshman setter Caleb Blanchett extended the lead to four points with an ace.
The Buckeyes cut into the Trojans' lead with an ace from Wetzel and a kill from Wright to make the score 17-16. With Pasteur's exit, the score was tied at 18. Junior middle blocker Cole Young's ace gave Ohio State a one-point lead, but Duecher responded with a double kill to give USC a 21-20 lead.
A service error by the Trojans brought them close to set point, and the lead shifted to the Buckeyes again. An offensive error by USC ended the set, and Ohio State won his 25-23.
The Buckeyes took a 4-2 lead, hoping to settle the game in the fourth inning. Teune's termination increased the lead to four and forced a Trojan timeout. Ohio State maintained a consistent lead with Wetzel's kill pushing the score to 15-11. Two offensive errors by USC widened the lead to five points by the time the Buckeyes reached 20 points.
Klein's triple termination brought the score within two points and forced Ohio State to take a timeout. Two Trojan errors followed, forcing the Buckeyes to set point and match point.
Young's ace gave Ohio State a 25-20 victory, and the match ended with a 3-1 victory.
The Buckeyes continue play in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge with a game against No. 4 UCLA on Sunday at 8 p.m. The game can be streamed on Pac 12 Plus.
