Ohio State huddles during the second set against No. 13 Penn State Friday at Covelli Center. Ohio State won 3-2. Credit: Casey Smith | Lantern TV Sports Producer

For the first time in more than one month, the Buckeyes returned to the Covelli Center and came away with two Big Ten victories.

No. 6 Ohio State held off comeback bids against No. 13 Penn State (14-3, 3-3 Big Ten) in five sets during a 3-2 win Friday and Northwestern (13-5, 2-4 Big Ten) in four sets Sunday.

“It was really fun having the crowd cheering for us, not just us cheering,” senior defensive specialist Kylie Murr said. “Homecourt advantage is a real thing.”

Ohio State took early control, scoring the first three points with kills by three players. The Buckeyes won the first set wire-to-wire leading by seven points most of the set, and the score finished 25-17. 

Senior outside hitter Gabby Gonzales hit .778, leading to seven kills in the set. The two-way player finished the match with a double-double, totaling 21 kills and 13 digs. 

“Five-set battles prepare you for a lot of things,” head coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg said. “I wish we would get out of there in three, but these battles are going to help us in the long run.” 

The Buckeyes began the second set with another 3-0 lead extending it to as many as 10 points. Ohio State held the Nittany Lions to a hitting percentage of .120 and led wire-to-wire again for a 25-15 set win. 

Junior outside hitter Emily Londot collected five kills in the set. She finished the match with 12 kills and nine digs. 

“I think we came out, and we just had fun,” Murr said. “We were loose and played free, and we were the aggressors, and then we got comfortable with that lead.”

Penn State fell behind by six points multiple times throughout the third set, but a 16-10 media timeout shifted the momentum. The teams came to a head a 21 points and then tied at 23, 24 and 25 before two-straight Nittany Lion points ended the set 27-25. 

Murr collected six of her 20 digs in the match. Murr also tallied two aces and added four assists in the match. 

“We kind of took our foot off the gas a little bit,” Murr said. “Our fundamentals kind of broke down, and we stopped being the aggressors.”

The Buckeyes took the first two points for the fourth straight set, but the Nittany Lions made it a fight with 12 ties and five lead changes. The final tie took place at 22 points, and Penn State scored the following three points and won by an ace. 

Ohio State was held to just .075 hitting percentage and had nine errors in the set. Penn State in the third hit .167 percent and had six errors. 

The Nittany Lions continued their momentum in the deciding fifth set, leading 3-2, but Ohio State took the lead and ultimately the game after a kill by senior outside hitter Jenaisya Moore made the score 5-4, the Buckeyes held on to win the set 15-11.

“As much as we think we could have done it in three, doesn’t matter. We did it in five.” Oldenburg said. “Those in the Big Ten is a big deal.”

Ohio State extended its winning streak to four, holding Northwestern’s first-set win and taking the match in four. 

“It’s nice to get two wins at home on the weekend,” Oldenburg said. “Northwestern does some really good things and we knew it was going to be a battle.”

The Wildcats hit over .300, and the aggressive attack led to 17 team kills, including the match’s first point. Ohio State fell behind 17-12 in the first set and battled back to make it a one-point game at 21-20 but fell 25-21. 

Ohio State was out-killed 17-11 in the first set and only hit on .168 percent of attempts. 

“Our team has done a really good job of isolating the sets,” Gonzales said. “It’s in the past. It’s how can we move forward.” 

A Gonzales ace tied the second set at 13 points, extending what would end up being an eight-point Buckeye run. That run gave Ohio State its second lead in the match, and the Wildcats responded to bring the score to 21-20, but the set ended 25-23. 

Gonzalez tied her season-high in aces with three in the second set and added five kills, including the set-securing point. She finished with 12 kills, 12 digs and a career-best eight aces.

“With our preconference schedule, we played the best of the best every single game,” Gonzales said. “We had to be on it every single game, and that translates into the Big Ten.”

Ohio State began the third set with a Gonzales ace and two more Buckeye points before Northwestern tied the game at five and six. Ohio State took a 16-11 lead, but the Wildcats knotted the match at 20, and the Buckeyes held off the Northwestern attack and won 25-23.

Londot collected eight kills in the set, including the set-winning kill. Londot finished the match with a double-double, collecting 18 kills and led all Buckeyes with 19 digs. 

The Buckeyes led from the opening point and won 25-15 in the fourth set. Ohio State scored three-straight points to close out the match, including back-to-back service aces by Gonzales.

Ohio State’s defense held Northwestern to a .044 hitting percentage and collected 18 digs in the set. Senior outside hitter Adria Powell collected two blocks in the set and seven in the match. 

“It’s the work we’re putting in day-by-day in practice,” Oldenburg said. “We worked on blocking yesterday, and I feel like we got better.” 

Ohio State had a season-high in aces and collected 11 in the match Sunday. Gonzales led all players with eight against the Wildcats.

Podraza passed Oldenburg and former setter Jen Boleyn, climbing to sixth place all-time in career assists and currently standing at 3,256.

Murr also moved into second place on the all-time digs list, now totaling 1,607.

Londot finished the match Sunday with 19 digs, passing her career high of 18 and her season-high of 13. 

Ohio State travels to Minnesota to face the Golden Gophers on Wednesday at 8 p.m. It will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

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