Ohio State gets big men’s victory at Ball St.; Rise, Vibe win in Pro Volleyball Federation

Ohio State got a much-needed victory Thursday as the No. 10 Buckeyes swept No. 12 Ball State in a match that kept them in the MIVA chase. 

Fifth-ranked Grand Canyon also won in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball.

The Atlanta Vibe built on its first-place Pro Volleyball Federation lead with a sweep of the Orlando Valkyries. 

There was also a Division I women’s hiring.

The PVF is off until Sunday, but Friday’s men’s slate is busy, especially in the smaller conferences.

Second-ranked Hawai’i is home for a Big West match with No. 18 CSUN.

The MPSF has No. 7 BYU at No. 8 Pepperdine and GCU back at Concordia Irvine, where it swept on Thursday.

Conference Carolinas as four matches, including league-leading Belmont Abbey (12-4, 7-1) playing at Mount Olive (13-6, 6-2). North Greenville (8-7, 6-2), tied with Mount Olive, goes to Barton (9-8. 4-4). Erskine (9-8, 5-3) tries to keep pace at King (4-15, 2-6) and Emmanuel (7-14, 2-6) goes to Lees-McRae (1-20, 0-8), which tries to break its 14-match skid.

The EIVA’s No. 17 George Mason plays host to independent Tusculum. 

There are three NEC matches with Sacred Heart at Fairleigh Dickinson, Daeman at Saint Francis (PA) and Merrimack at LIU.

There are three SIAC matches with Benedict at Fort Valley State and Edward Waters set to play twice at Morehouse.

In the ECC, Dominican plays Wentworth, and among independents, Thomas More is at Missouri S&T.

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NCAA men

There were four matches Thursday, three in the MIVA.

Ball State’s lead was cut to one game in the loss column after the Cardinals (16-8, 9-2) lost to visiting Ohio State (16-7, 9-4). Ohio State, which had lost three in a row, including in four sets 11 days earlier at home to Ball State, hit .418. Shane Wetzel led with 13 kills, hit .455, and had an ace, four blocks and seven digs. Kyle Teune had 11 kills with one error in 14 attacks, an assist, an ace and three blocks, one solo. Ohio State was without injured leading attacker Jacob Pasteur. 

Ball State, which hit .146, got 10 kills from Tinaishe Ndavazocheva …

No. 11 Loyola Chicago (15-8, 9-3) hit .559 and kept pace with a 25-15, 25-16, 25-16 victory at Quincy (5-14, 1-11). The Ramblers had 39 kills with six errors in 59 attacks. Parker Van Buren had 11 kills with no errors in 12 swings, an ace, a solo block and a dig. Jake Read had 10 kills with two errors in 13 attacks, five of his team’s nine aces, and a dig. Quincy, which hit .131, got 10 kills from Raje Alleyne … 

No. 14 Lewis (13-11,. 6-5) won 21-25, 25-11, 25-23. 25-14 at Queens (9-14, 2-9) as Max Roquet had 23 kills, hit .395, and had 16 digs. John Davis had 13 kills and six blocks, three solo. Chance Shampine led Queens with 15 kills, two assists, three digs and two blocks, one solo … 

Grand Canyon improved to 19-2 overall, 7-0 in the MPSF, with a 25-16, 25-16, 25-19 win at Concorida Irvine (6-11, 0-5). Camden Gianni led the Lopes with 15 kills and Rico Wardlow had 10 with no errors in as many attacks.

Pro Volleyball Federation 

The Grand Rapids Rise (5-5) won in four on Wednesday at the Columbus Fury (4-5) before the Atlanta Vibe (9-3) swept the visiting Orlando Valkyries (5-8) on Thursday. 

Emiliya Dimitrova went off for 23 kills, an ace, 12 digs and eight blocks, four solo, in the 25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 32-20 Rise victory. Claire Chaussee added 16 kills, seven digs and a solo block. Ashley Evans had 47 assists, 13 digs, three blocks assists and three kills. Sarah Sponcil added 13 digs and an assist.

The Fury’s Megan Courtney Lush led a balanced attack with 14 kills, 12 digs and three blocks, one solo. Asjia O’Neal had 13 kills, an ace, a dig and three blocks, one solo. Samantha Drechsel had 11 kills, an ace, 16 digs and six blocks, one solo. Newly acquired setter Tori Stringer had 49 assists, three kills, 12 digs and four blocks, one solo.

The crowd was announced at 2,946.

Atlanta beat Orlando 25-17, 25-13, 25-20 behind 17 kills from Leah Edmond, who had a solo block and nine digs. Anna Lazareva had 13 kills, 14 digs and five blocks, two solo. Morgan Hentz had 14 digs and three assists and Marlie Monserez had 43 assists, 12 digs and seven block assists. 

Orlando had just 26 kills, five each by Jill Gillen, Kaz Brown and Adora Anae.

The crowd was announced at 1,800.

The next PVF match is Sunday when the Vibe go to Columbus. 

UCSD hires Greene

Nearly two months after making a change, UC San Diego hired Melanie Greene as its women’s volleyball coach. Greene, who is from San Diego, has been an assistant at San Diego State, her alma mater.

UCSD finished 17-13 last year, 9-9 in the Big West. Ricci Luyties was fired in January after 14 years.

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