No. 7 Ohio State Opens Big Ten Play on the Road – Ohio State Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State women’s volleyball team (4-4) is on the road for back-to-back matches this weekend to open Big Ten play. The Buckeyes face Iowa on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and No. 3 Nebraska on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET with both matches being broadcast live on B1G+.

• Ohio State continues to be ranked in the top-10 following the conclusion of one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. The Buckeyes sit at seventh in Monday’s weekly AVCA poll.
• Three of the Buckeyes’ four wins this season are against top-10 opponents (at the time of the match) as OSU beat No. 3 Louisville and No. 5 Georgia Tech on the road and No. 10 BYU at a neutral site.
• Despite playing seven of eight non-conference matches against ranked opponents, Ohio State leads the Big Ten in assists per set (12.85) and is third in kills per set (13.89).
• Iowa enters Big Ten play with a 6-5 record, including a perfect 3-0 mark when playing at home.
• Last weekend, Iowa earned three sweeps at the Hawkeye Invitational, beating South Dakota State, North Florida and Northern Iowa. The Hawkeyes other wins this season include Gonzaga, FIU and Wright State.
• Ohio State will be the second ranked opponent that Iowa faces this season. The Hawkeyes were previously swept by then No. 14 Washington at the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge over Labor Day weekend.
• Ohio State leads 67-12 in the all-time series against Iowa and 29-6 when playing the Hawkeyes in Iowa.
• The Buckeyes enter the matchup with the last five wins in the series, including a four-set victory (25-15, 25-15, 22-25, 25-16) last November inside Covelli.
• The Hawkeyes most recent win against the Buckeyes came on Nov. 24, 2018 (before the Jen Flynn Oldenburg era) in five sets (26-24, 24-26, 19-25, 25-18, 14-16).
• Nebraska enters the conference schedule with an 8-1 record, including a 2-1 record against ranked opponents.
• The Huskers are coming off a sweep (27-25, 25-20, 25-16) of No. 13 Kentucky last weekend and are scheduled to host Michigan State on Friday to open Big Ten play.
• Nebraska’s lone loss of the season came at home to No. 9 Stanford in four sets (25-27, 22-25, 25-19, 25-27) on Sept. 13.
• Madi Kubik and Whitney Lauenstein are both averaging more than 3.3 kills per set, while Lexi Rodriguez leads the Huskers’ defensive effort with more than four digs per set.
• Ohio State trails 16-9 in the all-time series against Nebraska and is 5-6 when playing the Huskers on the road.
• The Buckeyes own the two most recent…