Sports
Ohio Volleyball loses to Western Michigan at home, fails to clinch No. 2 seed
By: Austin Yau
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — On Oct. 4 Ohio Volleyball lost their 11th-straight game against the Buffalo Bulls. It continued an underwhelming start to the season, dropping the Bobcats to 2-14 overall and 0-4 in the MAC.
After that game interim head coach Kenzie Brinkman had a pretty simple message for the team “you’ve got to do your job.”
Ohio took that message to heart and did their job winning 11 of their next 12 matches with the only loss to MAC-leading Ball State. The team slowly climbed up the MAC standings, setting up a hugely important final two-game set against the Western Michigan Broncos.
The Bobcats played the first game of two against Western Michigan in the Convo on Thursday night. If the Bobcats won both games, they would clinch the No. 2 seed and a bye in the MAC tournament at Bowling Green. However, if Western Michigan won just one of the games they would clinch the two seed.
Despite getting blown out in the first set the Broncos would then shut down Ohio’s offense in the next three sets to win the match 3-1 and clinch the bye in the MAC tournament.
“It was probably a good time to lose another match just to remember how it feels like,” Brinkman said.
The first set would start off with the teams trading points. Ohio would then score seven unanswered points to take a commanding 11-3 lead.
This game was a showcase of Ohio’s offense as the team got 15 kills but also tallied up two aces and three blocks on the way to a 25-11 win.
The 11 points allowed to the Broncos were the lowest allowed in any set this season, lower than the 13 the Bobcats held Kent State to on Oct 29.
Momentum stayed with the Bobcats in the second set as they jumped out to a 5-2 lead to start the set. But the Broncos would respond strongly, scoring five straight to flip the lead to in their favor 7-5.
Ohio would keep it close from that point on tying it at 18 and 20. The Broncos would not feel the pressure though, scoring five straight to win the match 25-20.
Leah Richmond and Molly Brown would combine for the block to clinch the set.
Western Michigan would stay hot in the third set getting out to a 3-0 lead. Yet the Bobcats would battle back with a 6-1 scoring run to take a 7-5 lead.
The Broncos proved to be the stronger team though, scoring six unanswered for an 11-7 advantage. Ohio would try to battle back again, the Broncos would be the better team scoring another six straight points to lead 20-13.
And the Broncos would win 25-18 as Bailey Blair would hit the ball out of the lines.
The Broncos would have a dominant fourth set. After Ohio started off 3-0, Western would tie it at three. It would be domination for the Broncos from that point on, scoring seven straight to take a 15-9 lead with Maddie Kmetz getting back-to-back aces. The Broncos went on a 7-2 run getting a 23-13 advantage.
Western Michigan would go on to win the match 25-15 with Mary Clare Brusek sealing the set and the game.
Despite the loss, Bailey Blair was stellar on offense posting 16 kills to lead the team and the game, on a strong .314 kill percentage.
“Though we didn’t get the No. 2 seed, tomorrow’s just as important whether we get a No. 3 or 4 seed. It’s the same song and dance, just go out there and do what we know how to do,” Brinkman said on Friday night’s mentality.
Ohio hosts Western Michigan at 6 p.m. on Friday for Senior Night as they close out the season. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+. If the Bobcats win they clinch the No. 3 seed. If they lose, they will wait on the results of Toledo and Akron’s games on Friday and Saturday, as if Toledo wins they will clinch the three seed due to having the tiebreaker over Ohio.