MUNCIE, Ind. – UNCG Volleyball suffered a 3-0 (25-20, 25-12, 25-14) loss to the No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes on Friday night inside John E. Worthen Arena on Ball State University's campus.  It was the first-ever meeting for UNCG and Ohio State, and the first time the Spartans have taken on a team from the Big Ten Conference.  With the loss, the Spartans fall to 4-7 on the season, while Ohio State improves to 9-2. 

Offensively for UNCG, Jessica Brezwyn (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) and Ashley Muench (Hurdle Mills, N.C./Orange) led the attack with 10 kills apiece.  Brezwyn added six digs defensively.  Allison Penner (Aurora, Neb./Aurora) earned 17 assists and added a pair of service aces.  Christina Gregory (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart Academy) recorded a team-best 11 digs.  Anna Romaniszyn (Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek) added six digs for the Spartan defense, along with a service ace.

UNCG was able to grab a three-point lead at 17-14 on back-to-back kills from Muench in the first set. The Buckeyes climbed back into it, taking advantage of a pair of Spartan errors along with kills from Taylor Sandbothe and Luisa Schirmer gave Ohio State a 20-19 lead.  The Buckeyes used a 5-0 run to close it out, getting kills from Schirmer and three-straight from Sandbothe to end the set at 25-20. 

The second set started close as UNCG kept it within two before Ohio State went on a run.  The Buckeyes forced a timeout after scoring four of the next five points to gain a five-point cushion at 13-8.  Out of a UNCG timeout, the teams traded points before the Buckeyes finished the set on an 11-1 run. Sandbothe, Taylor Hughes, and Kylie Randall all contributed kills in the set.

In the third set, UNCG was able to use a Muench kill to cut the lead to 6-4 in favor of Ohio State.  The Buckeyes then went on an 8-0 and took a 14-4 lead.  The teams continued to exchange points, but the Spartans couldn't climb out of the early hole, falling 25-14. 

The Spartans are back in action on Saturday evening as they wrap up the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge against the Valparaiso Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. at John E. Worthen Arena. 

-UNCG-