Sports
Volleyball: Ohio beats Buffalo in straight sets
By: Sara Nealeigh
Posted on:
The Bobcats took on the University of Buffalo for the second time this season to kick off their final weekend of regular season play. The first time these two teams met this season, Ohio defeated Buffalo 3-1. This second victory over Buffalo – this time in straight sets – gave the Bobcats their fifth straight win.
The Bobcats came into the first game determined to add another win to their record. The only lead Buffalo had in this set was a kill by Liz Scott for the first point of the match. From then on, the Bobcats took off running. Freshman Chelsea Bilger scored the first kill for the Bobcats and Lexie Harnett put up a huge block early in the set to bring the team some early energy. Though both teams showed plenty of hustle, most of the plays were sloppy and filled with errors. Ohio was able capitalize on Buffalo’s errors and won the set 25-19.
Ohio only allowed Buffalo to tie once in the second set at 1-1. The Bobcats took an early lead off of a three point scoring run and never looked back. Although points were scored back and forth for the remainder of the set, crucial serving errors left Buffalo behind. Another tough set of errors pushed Ohio to utilize back row attacks, and the back row delivered, helping Ohio to win the second set 25-23.
The third set spelled trouble for Ohio. Buffalo turned its game around, and the Bobcats found themselves in an early 5-1 hole. After a time-out, Ohio was able to regroup and add a few more points to the board. Unfortunately, it was not enough and Buffalo continued to lead at 12-4, the largest point gap of the game. After this, Ohio began to fight back. The Bobcats made multiple three point runs and were able to catch up at 21-21. The last points were back and forth, and the set was taken into overtime after a miraculous turnaround by Ohio. A final kill from Faith Robins sealed the set 26-24 and the match for the Bobcats.
“At the beginning of game three, we weren’t passing well,” coach Ryan Theis said of the troubles the Bobcats faced during the final set.
“Once our passes started going, all systems were go,” junior Faith Robins said.
Looking forward into tournament play, the outcome of Saturday night’s game against Akron will determine the Bobcats’ final seed.
“ I don’t know that seeding even matters I just think it’s about playing well,” Theis said.