VBelo Scouting Report: May 01, 2023

First Opening Round goes to the Buckeyes in a thrilling sweep

May 01, 2023

1 match down, 5 to go until we have a champion. The first match went (mostly) as expected with Ohio State getting the sweep over King. I say mostly, because King fended off 7 match-points in OT of Set 3 before eventually falling 34-36 in the decisive frame. The final set featured 22 ties and 6 lead changes. This was a fantastic opening match for the tournament! This is just the beginning of the excellent volleyball this week.

Ohio State’s Jacob Pasteur, 2023 MIVA Player of the Year, led all players with 17 kills and finished with a .667% hitting percentage. For King, Warren Davis put up a solid 14 kills, his lowest total in the past 8 matches. Ohio State is now 3-0 against King all time, with all three victories being sweeps.

The Buckeyes are rewarded with their victory by facing Penn State on Tuesday. This will be their 3rd meeting of the year. The season series is tied 1-1, with both teams winning as the away team. More about this matchup tomorrow.

Updated Tournament Projections

Since Ohio State was the favorite, the table doesn’t change very much. There are some very minor shifts in the overall odds, but everything mostly stays the same. Depending on the results of Tuesday though, we could see some significant changes soon.

Match Recaps

Non-conference

Ohio State (71%) def. King (29%)
3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 36-34)

Match Projections

No matches today.

Next matches: Tuesday (5/2)