The Quincy University men's volleyball team played their final regular season match on Saturday evening (Apr. 3) hosting the Buckeyes of Ohio State University for Senior Day at Pepsi Arena. After losing the last 17 meetings between the two schools, the Hawks bested Ohio State for the first time since 2012 in five sets 25-22, 19-25, 16-25, 25-21, and 15-10.
On Senior Day two seniors played big roles in the upset victory for the Hawks. Omari Wheeler lead the team in kills with a potent offensive strike of 17 kills hitting just under .300 on the night and Matt Friddle did a little bit of everything directing the QU offensive with a team leading 38 assists as well as rounding out the defensive effort for Quincy with 9 digs.
1st Set
The Hawks jumped out to a 2-0 lead to the match started off a service ace from Matt Friddle and a kill from Omari Wheeler. The Buckeyes then put together a five point run to move ahead 5-2. Down 8-11 later in the set QU took advantage of four consecutive errors by OSU to regain the lead 12-11. Kills from Omari Wheeler and Zach Reider and two more Ohio State errors helped Quincy to four of the next five and opened a 16-13 lead. Knotted at 21 late in the first set the Hawks sealed the deal with a three point run taking four the final five points and a 25-22 first set victory.
2nd Set
The Hawks trailed the set from wire to wire pulling within two at 6-8 after a three point run sparked by a Micheal Ladner kill and two Buckeye errors but OSU held down the Quincy offensive leading to a 25-19 second set win drawing the match at one set apiece.
3rd Set
QU found themselves down early in the set with Ohio State taking five of the first seven points for a 5-2 advantage. The Hawks battled back to within one at 6-7 off a kill from Micheal Ladner but they would come no closer as the Buckeyes controlled the rest of the set in route to a commanding 25-16 third set victory.
4th Set
OSU looked to close the match out in four with a strong effort taking five of the first six points for a 5-1 advantage to open the set. The Hawks hung around bringing things to a tie at 9 on a three point run off a kill from Eddie Jukubauskas and two Buckeye errors. Quincy and Ohio State jousted back and forth through the middle of the set but it was QU who got things done in the crunch taking three straight and five of the last six points to close out the fourth set for a 25-21 Hawk victory.
5th Set
The Hawks took advantage of 10 errors from the Buckeyes in the final set. After dropping the first point QU took four of the next five off three OSU errors and a kill from Omari Wheeler to take a 4-2 advantage. The Buckeyes committed six errors over the next eight plays to give the Hawks a 10-4 lead. Ohio State made things interesting putting together a five point barrage to cut the Quincy lead to 10-9. The Hawks took care of business finishing the match on a four point run capped off by a match ending kill from Omari Wheeler giving the Hawks a 15-10 set and match win.
UP Next
The Hawks will open the first round of the MIVA conference tournament against the #1 seed Flyers of Lewis University on April 10.
