Sports
Ohio Volleyball Drops Match Against UTSA
By: Mitchell Lyons
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The Ohio Bobcats were all ready to go up 2-0 on the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) but the Roadrunners had a different plan.
Ohio was up 24-20 in the second set with the serve, but back-to-back kills by Marijeta Runjic and two Ohio errors tied the set at 24. The Roadrunners went on to win the set and then the following two sets to take the match 3-1 (25-27, 28-26, 25-20 25-19).
After UTSA tied the match at 24, Runjic put down one of her match high 23 kills. Kosiorek answered right back for the Bobcats with one of her team high 21 kills. Dajana Boskovic (20 kills) gave the Roadrunners the 25-24 lead. Kosiorek answered with another kill to tie it up. But Runjic and Boskovic went back-to-back and UTSA won the set.
UTSA did not trail in the third set. They scored 11 of the sets first 16 points and forced Ohio to call a timeout. Ohio outscored UTSA 8-5 thanks to two aces and two more Kosiorek kills to make it a 16-13 game. But that is the closest the Bobcats got. Antonela Jularic put down two straight kills, sparking an 8-5 run (24-18). Ohio fended off two match points but could not complete the comeback.
The two teams traded the first 14 points of the fourth set (7-7). Three straight errors by UTSA gave Ohio the 10-7 lead and UTSA called a timeout. Ohio and UTSA split the next six points and the Bobcats led 13-10. But UTSA scored the next seven points thanks to four errors and three Boskovic kills. After an Ohio timeout UTSA scored four of the next six points, forcing another Bobcat timeout. Two Kosiorek kills and an error by UTSA gave Ohio three points but UTSA took the set.
Ohio came out like a roadrunner, flying all over the court with a ton of energy. The bench was roaring and Kosiorek was killing. Kosiorek had eight kills in the set. With the set tied at six, Ohio went on a 6-0 run, thanks to three Kosiorek kills. Ohio led 12-6, but UTSA would not go away. A 10-5 run made it a 17-16 Bobcat lead. UTSA scored three of the next five points to tie it at 19. The two teams traded points until the match was tied at 24. Boskovic’s error and then kill tied the match at 25. Ohio took the lead on an error by UTSA and then won the match on a kill by, you guessed it Kosiorek.
On Friday, after the loss to Oklahoma, senior captain Brooke Coleman said Saturday would be a test of the team’s heart. They passed that test. Ohio fought hard against one of the best teams in Conference USA. But in the end Runjic, Boskovic and company were too much for Kosiorek and the ‘Cats.
“Yeah, I’m wired that way. I like to kind of have that competition with the people across the net,” Kosiorek said on if she took it as personal challenge going up against Boskovic and Runjic. “Obviously they are different players than I am. They are a lot more physical than I am but I like to make it a challenge and do my best to help my team.”
To go with Kosiorek’s 21 kills, Ali Lake had double digit kills (11) and Mallory Salis added 10. Birthday girl and setter Stephanie Olman dished out career-high 47 assists and played the best game of her career.
“Honestly I thought we started off strong, had our ups and downs towards the middle and end but happy with our performance I think we’re going on an uphill motion and there is a lot of things we can work on but I am happy with how we improved from the beginning of the season to now,” Olman said.
Next weekend, the Bobcats will travel to Blacksburg, Virginia to take part in the Hokie Invitational.