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For the second time in almost 20 years, Ohio State will return to Long Beach State to play a non-conference match.
Long Beach State earlier this week unveiled its 2014 regular season schedule that included the team playing Ohio State as part of the 49ers’ annual home tournament the Active Ankle Tournament.
The 49ers and Buckeyes both finished last season in the national coaches poll and have a majority of starters returning for the upcoming season.
Long Beach State after advancing to the 2013 MPSF Tournament championship match and narrowly missing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament has outside attacker Taylor Crabb, the 2013 AVCA National Player of the Year, returning for his senior season. Ohio State ended last season being upset in the MIVA Tournament quarterfinals.
This will be the first time since 2006 that Ohio State has played a road match against Long Beach State and it’s the team’s first appearance at the Active Ankle Tournament. The 49ers are 9-0 all-time against the Buckeyes, including a five-game victory at the 2012 UC Santa Barbara Invitational.
Along with Ohio State, Penn State and Cal State Northridge will participate in the Active Ankle Tournament. The two-day tournament in mid-March will feature four non-conference matches with Ohio State and Penn State both playing matches against the two MPSF schools Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge.
The announcement that Ohio State will compete in the Active Ankle Tournament comes months after Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said in an interview with Off the Block that his team will compete in the non-conference event.
The Nittany Lions are making their first appearance at the Active Ankle Tournament since 2011. In addition, Penn State and Cal State Northridge during the tournament will play each other for the first time since their 2011 non-conference match in University Park, Pa.