Sports
Volleyball: ‘Cats lose second straight on road
By: Colleen O'Morrow
Posted on:
On paper, this was a difficult weekend for Ohio volleyball. On the court, it proved to be exactly that.
The Bobcats’ record with the Northern Illinois Huskies symbolizes the tough competition the teams bring to each other. Before the game tonight Ohio held the winning record of games against Northern Illinois at 14-13. By the end of the action this evening, the record changed to 14-14.
The Huskies beat the Cats in three straight sets (18-25, 20-25, 21-25). It was the second loss of the weekend for Ohio, but it still remains a top team in the MAC East. For this season, the team now holds a 7-3 record in the conference.
Northern Illinois is 8-2 in the conference and kept pace with the top teams in the West. The top hitters for the Huskies held a significant role in beating the Bobcats, who are known for their talented hitters. Lauren Wicinski of the Huskies and Kelly Lamberti of the Bobcats both had 12 kills. Overall, Northern Illinois managed 45 kills for the game while Ohio contributed 33 kills.
Just like Lamberti, Huskie sophomore Wicinski was a top player in her high school career and has won awards such as Top Player of the Year in the Chicago Sun-Times. Lamberti is a year younger than Wicinski and able to play up to her standards, really showing the athletic talent this young Bobcat player holds.
The game tonight proved to be a good match considering the minimal errors that were made; most points were attained through kills. The Cats put up a fight, keeping the Huskies on their toes and remaining close within points.
This weekend marked the first time Ohio didn’t win a match; losing matches to Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. Ohio will have its next chance to gain back power in next week’s games against Bowling Green and Miami.