WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOWÂ
>>Saint Francis men's volleyball will begin the 2024 season on the road for the first three matches, starting at No. 5 Ohio State on Monday, January 8 at 7 p.m.
>>The action can be followed on B1G+ and with Live Stats.
>>The Red Flash were picked to finish third in the preseason Northeast Conference (NEC) poll.Â
THE WORD ON THE BUCKEYESÂ
Ohio State men's volleyball finished the 2023 season with a 23-10 record. The Buckeyes achieved their 18th Midwestern Collegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) title and their 22nd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Â
The Buckeyes were unanimously picked to finish first in the MIVA preseason poll for the 2024 season. The team is currently 1-0 on the season after a 3-0 set win against North Greenville on Wednesday, January 3. Ohio State accumulated 42 kills, including double-digit kills from Jacob Pasteur(12) and Cole Young(10), and nine service aces overall.
LAST TIME WE MET THE BUCKEYES
The last time Saint Francis faced off against Ohio State was during the 2022 season. Against the No.13 ranked Buckeyes in the second matchup on March 12, Nathan Zini recorded 10 kills and Andrew Deardorff tallied eight digs in a 3-1 set win
ENTERING 2024
Men's volleyball finished the 2023 season with a 16-12 record and 12-2 in the NEC, earning them the NEC regular season championship. The team ended the season in the NEC Championship with a straight set loss to LIU.Â
The 2024 season marks Mike Rumbaugh's 26th season with the program. The veteran coach is sitting at 298 career wins, leaving him two away from 300.
Saint Francis is returning 16 players and bringing along nine newcomers. The returning players include setter Ryan Parker and outside hitter Andrew Deardorff, who made the All-NEC first-team in 2023.
UP NEXT
The Red Flash will head to California for two matches in four days. The trip starts with a matchup against No. 4 UC Irvine on Jan 10 at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST.
