PHOENIX - The Grand Canyon men's volleyball team travels to Columbus, Ohio this weekend for a pair of matches against MIVA foe Ohio State. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 6 this season and have a record of 10-3 overall and 5-1 in the MIVA. GCU is 9-4 overall and 2-2 in the league.
"Ohio State has been playing at a very high level this season," head coach
Matt Werle noted. "They are very well balanced and extremely well coached."
The Buckeyes hold an 11-2 all-time advantage over the Lopes and are entering the match on a two-game winning streak. Ohio State is led by head coach Pete Hanson who has served at the helm of the program for the last 31 seasons.
"They have continued to score repeatedly from the service line," Werle added to the Buckeyes scouting report. "They have four or five guys that serve very well and we will need to fight those jump serves off."
Last weekend, GCU was led by some new faces as it split matches with Quincy.
Luke Turner,
Will Schwob and
Cody Williams all contributed strong performances from the outside hitter position. Setter
Michael Milstein ran the offense and had 71 assists over two matches. The Lopes will look for continued strong performances from the younger players but also return some veterans to full strength.
"We have been plagued with illness for the past week and a half and it really hurt us last weekend," Werle said. "I believe we have started to turn the corner. We will continue to try to get the team healthy as soon as possible."
The first match against Ohio State will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 19 and the second will be played at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 20.