Sports
Ohio Volleyball wins in five sets in front of record-breaking crowd
By: Joshua Hoerner
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — One night after getting reverse swept by the Central Michigan Chippewas, the Ohio Bobcats were looking to split the weekend series and stay above .500 in conference play. But it was not going to be an easy task.
Coming into this contest, the Chippewas were tied atop the MAC conference standings, with a 10-2 conference record. Despite this, Ohio was able to take the first two sets in yesterday’s contest, proving they could hang with the conference’s best.
On fan appreciation day, Ohio Volleyball officially set the Convocation Center volleyball attendance record with 1,017 paid fans.
Right off the get-go, the Chippewas were off and running. Alina Anderson got a serving ace on the second serve of the contest and Central Michigan held an early 4-2 lead.
Anna Kharchynska got on the board with her first-night kill and kept Ohio within striking distance early on. Both sides established back-and-forth play early on.
The Chippewas began a run of their own. Central Michigan led 11-6, thanks to two kills from Lauren Schrock. However, Ohio would tie the score up just a little but later, going on an 8-2 run of their own.
The Bobcats lead 14-13 going into the first break, with Makenna Schafer, Olivia Gardner, and Kam Hunt all having multiple kills. Central Michigan had two team blocks in the early going, thanks to Abby Olin and Natalia Rejment.
Ohio clinched the first set on a serving error, 25-22 Bobcats going into the second. Schafer led Ohio with five kills, and Olivia Gardner followed her with four. Schrock led the Chippewas attack with four kills, and southpaw Krystina Kasson followed her with three of her own.
Neither team could pull away in the second set. Ohio had a miniature 7-5 advantage, but the Chippewas weren’t fazed. The first break in the set happened when Ohio Head Coach Geoff Carlston asked officials for the first review of the game.
Ohio won the challenge and Anna Kharchynska and Elizabeth Hoerlein combined for a huge rejection at the net the play after.
Ohio led 15-12 going into the media timeout. Central Michigan fell behind 18-14 before using their first timeout of the set.
When the Bobcats used their first timeout, the Chippewas cut their lead in half to 18-16. Schafer and Gardner combined for 15 kills at this point in the set, with Schrock and Grace Thomas leading Central Michigan with 12 combined.
Ohio responded well right out of the timeout. The Bobcats were within two points of ending the set when Schaffer brought them within one. The set closed after a Chippewas error the play later, 25-20 Bobcats leading two sets to none.
As mentioned before, the first two sets went the same way on Friday night as well. The Chippewas played extremely well with their backs against the wall, so could they pull off the comeback again?
At the beginning of the third, it looked like the Chippewas had momentum for the first time all night, leading 5-3 early. Central Michigan kept this momentum going. They led 13-6 and it seemed like the Chippewas weren’t slowing down.
Shrock and Thomas were still the main catalysts for the Central Michigan offense, with Olin and Rejment getting involved as the set went on. Despite a few highlight-reel plays for the Bobcats, they couldn’t keep up with the high-flying Chippewas. Central led 21-14, getting closer to the end of the set.
The Bobcats did everything they could to keep the set alive, but Thomas put her team in set point and the Chippewas ended it two plays later. 25-20 being the final.
Ohio led in the early going of the fourth. A solo block from Gardner garnered a roar from the crowd and gave the Bobcats momentum. Still, both teams traded punches throughout the set.
Keelyn Muell got a serving ace for the Chippewas, which was their sixth of the night so far. 12-12 when Central Michigan Head Coach Mike Gawlik asked for his first review of the night.
Neither team could pull away. Olin gave the Chippewas a one-point lead 18-17, but Kharchynska tied the set right back up. Central was able to build a two-point advantage with Ohio using their first timeout of the set. Ohio tied it back up at 21.
In one of the most important games of the year against the team tied at the top of the standings, the Bobcats found themselves in a position to put away the game and avenge the loss from the previous night.
Central put themselves in a position to win after Olin brought them to 25. 25-24 Chippewas when Kam Hunt tips the ball out of bounds, but she claimed it was hit by Central Michigan before it went out.
Carlston challenged the call, but it was no luck for the Bobcats–just like that, they were headed to a fifth set, with Central winning the last two.
No team could get much of an advantage in the finale. Central had a two-point lead heading into the first break.
Ohio tied it right back up after a Kendall Hickey service ace. Ohio would capture the following point, 8-7 Bobcats before the teams flipped sides, 9-7 Ohio when the Chippewas called their first timeout. 10-7, 11-7, then 11-8, 11-9, 12-9.
A Hoerlein solo block brought Ohio within two of ending the set. The Bobcats finished off the Chippewas 15-13 in the final set.
Kharchynska and Schaffer led the way for the Bobcats, both with 18 kills. Bryne Janke had a career-high of 51 assists.
For Central Michigan, Schrock led the way with 17 kills. Olin followed up with 16. Allie Korba had 45 assists for the Chippewas.
Ohio heads to Kent State on Tuesday, while Central Michigan heads to Eastern Michigan on Tuesday.