The Ohio State women’s volleyball team plays at Illinois on Sunday, Nov. 1, looking to end a four-match losing run in Big Ten play when the Buckeyes meet the Fighting Illini at 1 p.m. ET in Huff Hall in Champaign, according to Ohio State Athletics. The match will air on Big Ten Network.
Ohio State enters the match 10-11 overall and 3-8 in the Big Ten, while Illinois is 15-7 overall and 7-4 in conference play, Ohio State Athletics reported. Illinois athletics, in its own match preview, noted that the Illini lead the all-time series 48-46 and have won the last three meetings between the programs.
The Buckeyes come in off a four-set loss at No. 13 Penn State on Thursday night, falling 25-22, 19-25, 11-25, 16-25 after winning the opening set, according to Ohio State Athletics. Naomy Govou and Kalli Jioshvili-Ravva led Ohio State with 12 kills each in that match, Govou added a team-high 11 digs for a double-double, Hannah Jones added 11 kills, and Mia Tuman recorded a team-high 36 assists.
On the season, Govou leads the Buckeyes with 289 kills, averaging a team-high 3.85 kills per set, with double-digit kills in 15 matches and seven matches of 20 or more kills, Ohio State Athletics reported. Jones is second with 252 kills, and Emily Avshalomov leads the team with 297 digs.
In the setting role, Bailey Nakanelua leads Ohio State with 491 assists, averaging 9.09 per set, while Tuman has added 351 assists, according to Ohio State Athletics. Jones and Alia Schoonover lead the team in total blocks with 54 each, and Govou and Schoonover share the team lead in service aces with 20 each.
Illinois athletics reported that Ohio State picked up its Big Ten wins this season over Iowa, Northwestern and USC, and that three of the Buckeyes’ recent losses came against ranked opponents — No. 18 Indiana, No. 10 Oregon and No. 13 Penn State. Sunday’s match continues a demanding stretch of the conference schedule for a young Ohio State roster.
After Sunday’s match at Illinois, the Buckeyes return home to the Covelli Center in Columbus to host Purdue on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. for the program’s Our Honor Defend Military Appreciation night, Ohio State Athletics reported. That home match is the next chance for Columbus fans to see the team in person after the Illinois trip.
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