Ohio State Buckeyes2023 Record: 11-18
Conference Record: 8-12 (10th)
NCAA Tournament Placement: N/A
Final AVCA Ranking: NR
Head Coach: Jen Flynn Oldenburg (5th season at Ohio State)
Record at Ohio State: 76-38
| Returning Starters | Departures
* - 2023 Starter
() - Transfer Destination | New Additions
() - Transfer Origin |
Eloise Brandewie - SO - 6'3 MB
Emily Londot - SR+ - 6'3 OH/RS
Lauren Murphy - SO - 6'4 OH/RS
Rylee Rader - SR+ - 6'2 MB
Sydney Taylor - SR - 5'9 DS/L
Mia Tuman - SO - 6'0 S | Anna McClure - R-SO - 5'8 DS/L (Miami (OH))
Sarah Sue Morbitzer* - 5'6 DS/L
Anna Morris - SR - 6'3 MB/RS [No longer on roster]
Chelsea Thorpe* - JR - 6'3 OH/RS (North Carolina) | Kaia Castle - FR - 6'4 MB
Olivia Hasbrook - FR - 5'8 DS/L
Emmi Sellman - FR - 6'4 OH
Ava Shankle - FR - 6'0 S/RS
Ella Wrobel - JR - 6'4 OH/RS (Wisconsin)
Reese Wuebker - JR - 5'9 OH/DS
Abby Yoder - FR - 5'10 S |
The end of the 2022 season was a newsworthy time for Ohio State. The Buckeyes wrapped up the year with the program's first appearance in the regional finals since 2004.
That 2022 team featured a large group of veterans who could have returned for 2023. However, Head Coach Jen Flynn Oldenburg expressed a commitment to giving younger bench players a chance to compete. A mutual decision was reached, and several Buckeyes used their fifth years at other programs.
A new-look 2023 squad started 3-0 with wins against Northern Kentucky, Bowling Green, and ETSU. This was the end of Ohio State's fun in non-conference play. The young Buckeye roster was about to take on a grueling schedule in which the losses piled up.
It started with Ohio State's home opener and a double-dip against Georgia Tech. The Buckeyes fell in back-to-back four-set decisions against the Yellow Jackets to fall to 3-2.
The schedule only got tougher with a trip to Maples Pavilion for the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge. Ohio State suffered two more losses to Stanford and Oregon.
Playing two of the top programs in the Big 12 didn't help, either. Ohio State showed glimmers of hope against Texas and Baylor but fell in each contest. Ohio State limped into conference play on a six-match losing streak.
That's not the best way to head into a road matchup against undefeated Nebraska. After falling to the Cornhuskers, Ohio State finally got back on track with a sweep over Iowa.
Ohio State's early Big Ten matches largely went as expected. Maryland and Rutgers offered two more wins, but the Buckeyes consistently fell against the conference's top competitors. Rec Hall was nearly the site of a breakthrough, but the Nittany Lions pushed past Ohio State in five sets.
The Buckeyes stagnated in mid-October and lost five of six. This included an unsightly loss to Michigan, handing the Wolverines their first win over Ohio State since 2019.
Following wins over Indiana and Michigan State, the Buckeyes hit another wall. Ohio State lost four in a row before taking down Rutgers on Senior Day. The final tally was 11-18, and Ohio State missed the postseason for the first time in Oldenburg's tenure.
2023 Lineup:This segment could devolve into chaos very quickly. Ohio State had one of the Big Ten's most volatile lineups in 2023. Much of that was out of the team's control, however.
Three Buckeyes participated in every set last year, and one had to be senior pin hitter Emily Londot. The native Ohioan had been lighting up Big Ten defenses since she enrolled at Ohio State in 2020. Still, Londot was about to see a dramatic role change in her fourth year with the program.
Londot moved to the left pin in 2023 after three years at opposite. This tactic allowed Ohio State to funnel anything toward their star player, whether it was in-system sets or complete junk. It worked, too. Londot was fourth nationally in attacks per set, fourth in kills per set, and finished the year with 546 kills to her name. Her ability to carry an offense was never more apparent than in Ohio State's season finale against Rutgers, as Londot posted a conference-high 36 kills in just four sets.
Ohio State initially put Londot at the L2 spot, allowing true freshman Grace Egan to play L1. This didn't last as Egan suffered a season-ending injury just five matches into the 2023 campaign. Londot was now the L1.
Egan's injury was the first domino in a long, confusing lineup shuffle for Ohio State. The first post-Egan lineups placed sophomore Chelsea Thorpe on the left side after she started the year on the right. True freshman Lauren Murphy became the opposite. This lineup was short-lived with Thorpe and Murphy quickly trading places. Thorpe hit 0.195 as the primary opposite, and Murphy was relegated to a 0.095 percentage. Murphy's best asset was her serve, yielding an ace-per-set number that was third among Big Ten players.
The middle blockers were fairly consistent. Rylee Rader returned for her fourth year as a Buckeye starter. She started the year as the M2 before Ohio State scrapped that idea and moved her to M1. Rader stayed on to serve no matter which position she played. The senior hit 0.377 in 2023 before an injury halted her season seven matches short of the finish line. Sophomore Zaria Ragler entered the lineup in her stead.
True freshman Eloise Brandewie was a wire-to-wire starter in her debut season. She finished with 151 kills and a 0.255 clip while spending ample time at both middle positions.
Another freshman, Mia Tuman, took the reins at setter following the departure of Big Ten Setter of the Year Mac Podraza. Some growing pains were expected from the debutant, especially with Ohio State's passing frequently fracturing throughout 2023.
These passing struggles were precipitated by constant changes at Ohio State's DS positions. Returning junior Sydney Taylor donned the libero jersey at the start of the year. She was quickly beaten out for the position by true freshman Kaitlyn Hoffman. After Taylor lost the libero spot, she was primarily used as a DS for whichever left-side hitter wasn't Londot.
Senior DS Sarah Sue Morbitzer joined Londot and Brandewie as the Buckeye trio to play every set in 2023. Morbitzer's primary role was as the DS for the opposite.
This backcourt unit doesn't seem too chaotic yet, but Hoffman suffered a season-ending injury before Ohio State's Oct. 25 match against Northwestern. The libero circus continued as Morbitzer got her shot to close out the year. Sophomore Anna McClure was brought up from the bench to take Morbitzer's old spot.
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2024 Projected Lineup:A clean bill of health would help a lot.
Ohio State has plenty of returning talent. Some players can be slated into the 2024 lineup by default, while others must earn it.
Londot is the aircraft carrier. The all-Big Ten outside hitter is returning for her fifth year and should reach 2,000 career kills before her time is done. Keep her at the L1 spot, hurl anything her way, and profit.
Ohio State has other options. The middle blocker spot should largely be the status quo with Rader and Brandewie coming back. 2024 signee Kaia Castle (formerly Caffee) is a solid option, even if it's a backup role. Rader's pre-injury form was encouraging, especially with a new setter dishing the ball. The Buckeyes want more of that.
Tuman isn't a new setter anymore. At the very least, Tuman is battle-tested after last year's unpredictable rollercoaster. Kamiah Gibson also returns as her backup.
That leaves us with the three big variables: libero, opposite, and the outside hitter spot across from Londot.
The Buckeyes will be begging for someone to step up at libero. Taylor represented Ohio State at Big Ten Media Days. Is the senior ready to be a full-time leader? Perhaps the 2023 approach returns. If we can assume Hoffman is healthy, maybe she will take the spot back. With Morbitzer leaving, both will see the floor. True freshman Olivia Hasbrook is also a worthy challenger in this group.
Ohio State's opposite battle is fascinating. Thorpe is off to North Carolina. We could see a starting opposite whose native position is on the left. It's like Londot but in reverse.
A major factor in this conversation is Wisconsin transfer Ella Wrobel. The junior saw some backup opposite reps with the Badgers but has spent most of her playing career on the left. Which role takes precedence? That question might be decided by other players in the mix for starting time.
Egan is great unknown after suffering her second major knee injury. Murphy is back on the roster and could feasibly defend her territory as the other outside hitter. Of course, a 0.095 hitting percentage leaves much to be desired.
And perhaps freshman signee Emmi Sellman could complicate matters further. Sellman was a top recruit in the 2024 class and has experience on the USA Youth National scene. A wide range of pin permutations behind Londot gives Ohio State some serious early-season intrigue.
2024 Schedule:Ohio State's season starts across the road in Dayton. The Buckeyes have meetings with Florida International, Northern Iowa, and the hosting Flyers. The last two are part of a Saturday doubleheader, which is wicked.
Week 2 brings more travel miles. Ohio State is heading to Gainesville to play Southern Indiana, South Florida, and Florida. We'll see what happens with the Gators in the Urban Meyer Bowl.
The Buckeyes are finally home in Week 3 for meetings with Miami (FL), Buffalo, and Wright State. That's Miami's third Big Ten opponent in non-conference play.
Finally, the Covelli Center has a double-down with Bowling Green.
Double the fun:
2024 Outlook:If Ohio State can sort through its unknowns, the Buckeyes could be a dangerous team in 2024. We won't know until we see it.
Of course, you could always decide to disregard all those unknowns and heave every ball to Londot. That might be a good stopgap against the Big Ten's worst teams, but you'll eventually find diminishing returns against the upper echelon.
The Buckeyes could find a semblance of balance, opening up great scoring opportunities behind Londot. This depends on how well--or how quickly--Ohio State establishes its identity at the other pin positions. The Buckeyes have plenty of bodies here with Murphy, Wrobel, and Sellman all expecting to play. A healthy Egan would be there, too. Someone will have to play opposite, and the other will hopefully improve on last year's dismal efficiency.
A little ball control wouldn't hurt, either. Find a libero and some passing.
This Ohio State could find a ceiling to spar with the Big Ten's best and catch an inkling of the NCAA Tournament bubble. Preseason polling slotted the Buckeyes into ninth, putting Ohio State right on that fringe. Expect an appreciable improvement on last year's effort.
