No. 8 BYU set to host No. 15 Ohio State after month-long roadtrip

Teon Taylor on the service line about to hit the ball

PROVO, Utah — No. 8 BYU men’s volleyball returns to the Smith Fieldhouse after a six-game road trip to host No. 15 Ohio State on Friday and Saturday.

Ohio State currently averages 11.97 assists per set, the fourth highest average in the nation. The Cougars haven’t faced the Buckeyes since BYU’s 2019 season opener where the Cougars won 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 27-25). The Ohio State men’s volleyball program is also notorious for beating the Cougars in the National Championship game in back-to-back years of 2016 and 2017.

BYU has a 13-6 overall record against Ohio State, with a 6-3 home record. BYU men’s volleyball’s first-ever game was played against OSU in the Smith Fieldhouse in 1990 on January 11 and the Cougars won 3-1.

After two road losses against No. 5 GCU, BYU held its spot at No. 8 in this week’s AVCA coaches poll. This is BYU’s eighth week in a row on the rankings, and its fourth week at number eight. Last season, the Cougars highest ranking at any point was eight.

Teon Taylor led BYU’s defense last week with 10 total blocks, including five solo blocks. Taylor is currently the No. 2 blocker in the country, averaging 1.237 blocks per set. As a team, BYU is currently averaging 2.398 blocks per set, the seventh highest average out of all NCAA D1 men’s volleyball teams. Taylor also holds a 2023 MPSF single-match record with 13 total blocks against CUI on January 27th.

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