Ohio State wins first set, falls in four to No. 2 Long Beach State

Gabe Eaker
Sun, 18 Jan 2026 19:43:08 +0000
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Then-freshman outside hitter Stanislaw Chacinski jumps up to hit the ball against Ball State in the Covelli Center April 19, 2025. Credit: Jay LaPrete via Ohio State Athletics

The defending national champions had yet to stumble since they hoisted the championship trophy in the Covelli Center back in May.

That changed Saturday, when No. 13 Ohio State delivered No. 2 Long Beach State its first set loss of the season.

It looked like the Buckeyes would hand Long Beach its first match loss since April.

Instead, the Buckeyes fell in four sets against the Beach, dropping to 3-1 on the young season.

“It stings because we know that we were right there, but I think it’s important that we don’t lose sight of the fact of what we did accomplish and that we showed what we could do,” Burch said.

Wetzel finished with a team-high 14 kills, moving into 13th place on Ohio State’s all-time kills list. Middle blocker Aaron Grimm added six kills on seven swings for an .857 hitting percentage.

“To finally get out there and be able to prove that we’re able to hang with the best, it’s really motivating,” Grimm said.

Momentum shifted early in the second set when Daniel Hurley exited the match with an injury. Long Beach State adjusted its blocking, limiting Ohio State’s options and keying in on Wetzel and Stanislaw Chacinski.

“When Dan went down, they were just shifting their whole block away from Owen [Pickering], who went in for him],” Burch said. “They basically had half the court they had to block, so they took full advantage of it.”

The Beach won the second and third sets 25-18 before pulling away late in the fourth. A reversed call helped seal the final set, 25-20, giving Long Beach State the four-set victory.

“When you play a team like that, they’re going to expose you,” Burch said. “And you’re going to learn a lot from it.”

Skyler Varga led Long Beach State with 14 kills and five blocks, while setter Jake Pazanti recorded 42 assists as three Beach players reached double figures in kills.

Despite the loss, Burch said the performance showed Ohio State’s growth early in the season.

“They were as focused and dialed in on the scouting report as I’ve ever seen,” Burch said. “That shows a lot of belief in what they can do.”

Ohio State’s loss was its first since the MIVA Championship match against Loyola Chicago last April, but the Buckeyes believe the experience will pay off later in the season.

“We’ve had a really good record late in seasons the last three years,” Burch said. “A lot of that comes from learning from games like this.”