Dec. 14, 2005

With four starters returning from the 2005 season, Ohio State looks to continue as one of the top teams in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association and to make a bid to return to the NCAA Championship. The Buckeyes were 24-8 overall last season and finished second in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association with a 14-2 mark. OSU won the MIVA Tournament, winning the automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.

Outside Hitter
The Buckeyes have two of three starting outside hitters returning from the 2005 season. Seniors Mark Greaves and Andy Cole were key to OSU's accomplishments last season. Greaves was a first team Asics All-American and a second team American Volleyball Coaches Association All-American. He averaged 4.35 kills per game and hit .323. Cole was a second team MIVA All-Conference selection who averaged 3.78 kills per game and hit .294. Battling for the third starting position are veterans fifth-year senior Stuart Katz, red shirt junior Sam Stevens and red shirt sophomore Matt Hankey. Also available are redshirt freshmen Robert Klein and incoming freshmen Tyler Stevens, a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection, and Jeffrey Klein. Katz had six starts and played in 28 matches. He averaged 2.05 kills and 1.10 digs per game and hit .216. Stevens played in 32 matches while Hankey saw action in three.

Middle blocker
Senior/junior Layne Dreven is the lone returning starter at middle blocker. He averaged 1.37 blocks and 2.17 kills per game while hitting .475. Red shirt sophomore Brett Versen has moved from an opposite hitter to middle blocker to add depth. He will compete with redshirt freshmen Ben Spurlock and John Albertson and incoming freshman Mike Westendorf, a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 selection, for the other starting spot.

Setter
Sophomore Daniel Mathews returns after a successful rookie season at setter. He averaged 13.10 assists, 1.48 digs and 1.04 block per game and was the MIVA Freshman of the Year. Adding depth to the position is junior Joerel Morales.

Libero
At libero, sophomore Conor Martin had 25 starts last season, averaging 1.92 digs per game. Junior Dan Meske had seven starts at libero, playing in 32 matches last season.

Departed Players
Two starting players, outside hitter Mike Wauligman and middle blocker Scott Spurlock, have complete their careers for the Buckeyes. Wauligman averaged 2.32 kills and 1.99 digs and hit .246 while starting 30 matches last season. Spurlock, a starter in all 32 matches averaged 1.89 kills, 1.18 blocks per game while hitting .398.

2006 Schedule
Ohio State will face some of the best teams in the country during the 2006 season. The Buckeyes will face Penn State, Hawaii and UCLA in its first-ever appearance in the Outrigger Tournament in Hawaii. OSU will face Penn State and Springfield at the Volleyball Hall of Fame Classic and play Brigham Young and Long Beach State at the Long Beach State Tournament.

The Buckeyes will face Loyola, Lewis, Ball State, IPFW, Mercyhurst, and Quincy in home-and-home matches in MIVA conference play and home and away contests against Penn State.

Outlook
Building on the success of last season, Ohio State has a solid returning core of players and excellent newcomers to make another run at the MIVA title.