Ohio State, Cal Baptist to meet in opening week of 2015 season

For the first time in its program history, Ohio State will be on the road for a non-conference match against Cal Baptist.

Ohio State as part of unveiling its 2015 regular season schedule earlier this week announced that the two teams have agreed to play each other during the open week of the upcoming season.

This will be the second time that Ohio State and Cal Baptist have played each other in a non-conference match. In their only previous meeting, the Buckeyes defeated the Lancers in four games in 2012 at the Penn State Invitational.

Cal Baptist that season was also in the midst of its multiple-year transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II membership, which it completed in the summer of 2013.

The match against Lancers on Jan. 6 will begin the Buckeyes’ only West Coast road trip of the season. Ohio State following the mid-week match will travel to compete at the Outrigger Invitational in Hawaii.

Ohio State finished last season in fifth place in the MIVA and lost in the conference tournament quarterfinals. However, the Buckeyes return a majority of their starters — including setter Christy Blough and middle attacker Driss Guessous, who were both selected to the Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team.

Cal Baptist with a depleted starting lineup because of injuries ended last year tied for 10th place in the MPSF.

The Lancers, though, went 2-2 in non-conference play, including victories against Princeton and St. Francis.