“Focus on our side of the net.” 

Coaches say this line so much, it borders on cliche. But for Ohio State and its head coach Geoff Carlston, it truly doesn’t seem to matter which opponent lines up across the net. Wins or losses come depending on the Buckeyes’ collective health, mentality, and the way practice went the week before.

For example, not even two weeks ago, Ohio State hosted then-No. 4 ranked Penn State and scored a huge upset in four (16-25, 25-20, 33-31, 25-23). 

“That was one of the weeks the team we practiced with during the week was the team that played [against Penn State],” Carlston said. “[Setter] Becca [Mauer] had practiced all week and everyone we had had been practicing with us all week, so we had a little bit of a rhythm there.”

In their next outing, however, the Buckeyes lost in four to Indiana. It was the first time Indiana had beaten Ohio State in Columbus in 10 years. Three nights later, Maryland handed the Buckeyes their sixth loss of the season.

Carlston said a lot depends on which players have been able to practice and who is cleared to play in each match. Injuries have plagued this Ohio State team. Setter Taylor Hughes medically retired prior to the 2018 season, which would have been her senior year. 

Camry Halm servin' up aces! ♠♠♠#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/LgOgHLaLBe

— Ohio State Women's Volleyball (@OhioStateWVB) September 27, 2018

Carlston brought in Kentucky transfer setter Olivia Dailey, but she’s played only sparingly as she battles an undisclosed injury. Sophomore Mauer has played in 49 of Ohio State’s 62 sets, but sometimes has to miss practice during the week due to her own undisclosed injury. 

Audra Appold, the only other senior on the roster alongside transfer Dailey, hasn’t played since September 1, due to, you guessed it, an undisclosed injury. Versatile hitter Madison Smeathers missed the first fews weeks of the season before working her way back into the lineup.

“We kind of take it day by day in terms of where we’re at and what we need to be doing and who we’re going to have on the floor,” Carlston said. “It makes things interesting and it makes us creative, for sure.”

Against Indiana, Ohio State committed 28 hitting errors, averaging a .121 clip as a team. In the fourth set, seven errors and seven kills averaged out to a .000 percentage. Indiana, on the other hand, made zero hitting errors in the fourth to hit .520 and win the set 25-8.

The Buckeyes averaged a .262 clip in the first four sets against Maryland, but that number dropped off in the fifth, as they hit negative with only four kills and five errors and lost 17-15. 

Carlston, however, can still find a bright side.

“Adria [Powell] came in and did some great things for us really helped us kind of come back in the Maryland match,” Carlston said. “We didn’t play at the highest level the first two sets and came back and I thought we played really well and Adria was a big part of that. I thought Vanja [Bukilic], another freshman, had a great match against Maryland, so there’s two freshmen who have really kind of stepped up.”

Having question marks in the lineup at the crucial setter and outside hitter positions has been challenging, even frustrating, but Ohio State has strong role players in a number of other significant spots: Lauren Witte and Kentucky transfer Jordan Fry in the middle; Bukilic on the right; Hannah Gruensfelder at libero; and Camry Halm, Bia Franklin, and Camryn Moeller contributing as defensive specialists. 

“We try to keep ourselves realizing that, hey, we’re six points away from being 14-2, and we’ve lost three five-setters and we’re right there and we’re doing well,” Carlston said. “Aside from the Indiana match, I thought we put in some really good effort. We’ve been there, we’ve fought, we’ve kicked, we’ve scratched, we’ve competed, and that’s all you can ask from any team.”

Hey @OhioStateFB, we did it. Now it's your turn. #BeatPennState ?#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/hKOcGl5A6U

— Ohio State Women's Volleyball (@OhioStateWVB) September 24, 2018

This week for OSU, it’s Rutgers on Friday and Penn State the next night in State College. 

Carlston has never lost to Rutgers in his 10 seasons at Ohio State, but if there was any chance of the Buckeyes taking that match for granted, the four-set loss to Indiana last week likely made them reconsider. 

And Penn State, currently ranked No. 9, will be out for revenge come Saturday. In the first meeting between these two teams, the Nittany Lions were missing senior outside hitter Nia Reed, who ranks fourth on the team with 90 kills despite sitting out four matches due to injury. Last weekend, when Ohio State lost back-to-back matches, Penn State did the opposite, sweeping Michigan State and Michigan. 

The Ohio State coaching staff is painfully aware of the wins they need to get if they have hopes of making the tournament in November. Last fall, with a five-set loss to Illinois in the final game of the regular season, the Buckeyes finished 15-16, just under .500 and were therefore not eligible for the postseason. 

“We know there are some wins out there we’re going to have to get if we want to make the tournament, but we also need to stay locked into the process here and focusing on Rutgers and then going into Penn State on the road,” Carlston said. “In the end, we have a lot of kids who are getting some really great experience and we have a really neat group who is really bought in and wants to work hard.”

Tune in right here on FloVolleyball to see Ohio State take on Rutgers, Friday at 7 PM ET, and Penn State Saturday at 1 PM ET.