Anteaters Battle Buckeyes In NCAA Opening Round
April 30, 2018 | Men's Volleyball
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No. 5 UC Irvine will battle No. 6 Ohio State in a second opening round match tonight (May 1) at 5:00 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.
The Buckeyes beat King, 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-18) at St. John Arena last Thursday to advance and play the Anteaters.
ABOUT THE BUCKEYES: Ohio State, the two-time defending national champion, enters the match with a 24-5 overall record.
The Buckeyes won the MIVA Tournament for the third year in a row.
The Anteaters are 7-4 all-time against Ohio State, including 1-0 in the post-season.
UCI beat Ohio State 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 30-28) in the 2009 NCAA semifinals.
The last time UCI and OSU met, the Anteaters defeated the Buckeyes 3-0 at St. John Arena on Mar. 11, 2017, snapping the Buckeyes' 42-match winning streak.
FRENCH CONNECTION: French players figured prominently in the last meeting between OSU and UCI. Aaron Koubi led UCI with a match-high 13 kills, while Maxime Hervoir was one of two Buckeye players to record double-figure kills with 11. Nicholas Szerszen had seven kills.
UCI won its last two national championships with French national team player Kevin Tillie.
THE MATCH UP: The match features two of the best offensive teams in the country. Ohio State is third in hitting percentage (.345), while the Anteaters are fifth (.332).
The Buckeyes ranked second nationally in aces with a 1.84 per set average. Ohio State recorded 90 more aces this season than UCI (107). Szerszen, the three-time MIVA Player of the Year, owns Ohio State career records in kills, points and service aces. He ranks third all-time in NCAA aces with 236.
OSU assistant coach Kevin Burch was on the Anteater bench with the UCI national championship team in 2013.
Both setters hail from the state of Illinois. UCI's Dante Chakravorti hails from Glencoe, while OSU's Sanil Thomas is from Tinley Park.
THE ANTEATERS
UCI is 21-9 overall and are making their seventh NCAA post-season appearance.
The Anteaters have captured four national titles (2007, 2009, 2012, 2013), the last coming at Pauley Pavilion.
Four Anteaters were named AVCA All-America with Karl Apfelbach and Scott Stadick earning second team accolades and Aaron Koubi and Joel Schneidmiller garnering honorable mention honorees.
All seven starters were honored by the Big West as all-conference, including Joel Schneidmiller who became the fourth Anteater to earn conference Freshman of the Year.
No. 5 UC Irvine will battle No. 6 Ohio State in a second opening round match tonight (May 1) at 5:00 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.
The Buckeyes beat King, 3-0 (25-13, 25-23, 25-18) at St. John Arena last Thursday to advance and play the Anteaters.
ABOUT THE BUCKEYES: Ohio State, the two-time defending national champion, enters the match with a 24-5 overall record.
The Buckeyes won the MIVA Tournament for the third year in a row.
The Anteaters are 7-4 all-time against Ohio State, including 1-0 in the post-season.
UCI beat Ohio State 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 30-28) in the 2009 NCAA semifinals.
The last time UCI and OSU met, the Anteaters defeated the Buckeyes 3-0 at St. John Arena on Mar. 11, 2017, snapping the Buckeyes' 42-match winning streak.
FRENCH CONNECTION: French players figured prominently in the last meeting between OSU and UCI. Aaron Koubi led UCI with a match-high 13 kills, while Maxime Hervoir was one of two Buckeye players to record double-figure kills with 11. Nicholas Szerszen had seven kills.
UCI won its last two national championships with French national team player Kevin Tillie.
THE MATCH UP: The match features two of the best offensive teams in the country. Ohio State is third in hitting percentage (.345), while the Anteaters are fifth (.332).
The Buckeyes ranked second nationally in aces with a 1.84 per set average. Ohio State recorded 90 more aces this season than UCI (107). Szerszen, the three-time MIVA Player of the Year, owns Ohio State career records in kills, points and service aces. He ranks third all-time in NCAA aces with 236.
OSU assistant coach Kevin Burch was on the Anteater bench with the UCI national championship team in 2013.
Both setters hail from the state of Illinois. UCI's Dante Chakravorti hails from Glencoe, while OSU's Sanil Thomas is from Tinley Park.
THE ANTEATERS
UCI is 21-9 overall and are making their seventh NCAA post-season appearance.
The Anteaters have captured four national titles (2007, 2009, 2012, 2013), the last coming at Pauley Pavilion.
Four Anteaters were named AVCA All-America with Karl Apfelbach and Scott Stadick earning second team accolades and Aaron Koubi and Joel Schneidmiller garnering honorable mention honorees.
All seven starters were honored by the Big West as all-conference, including Joel Schneidmiller who became the fourth Anteater to earn conference Freshman of the Year.
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