Sports
Ohio Volleyball Beats SEC Again, Sweeps LSU
By: Max McDulin
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The Bobcat Invitational started on a high note for Ohio volleyball, as it swept LSU 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-16). It was the first ever meeting between the two schools and the second straight win for Ohio versus an opponent from the Southeastern Conference.
The third set put an exclamation point on the afternoon for the Bobcats as they beat the Tigers 25-16. With Ohio holding a slim 13-11 lead, Aubree Hord reeled off a string of seven straight service points to put Ohio up 20-11.
“Aubrey is a serving specialist,” head coach Deanne Webb said after the match. “She came through big in that situation and did what we as a team needed her to do.”
Also helping finish off the set was Jamie Kosiorek, forcing back-to-back errors with her great power. Kosiorek had a team-leading 13 kills on the day.
In the third and final set the ‘Cats showed off what they can do when firing on all cylinders as their hitting percentage was at a .370 clip while only making a single error.
On the entire day Ohio made a total of only nine errors to LSU’s 23. The Bobcats also held the Tigers to mere .052 hitting percentage. That great defensive performance has been a theme of the early season for Ohio, as they held No. 10 Kentucky to only a .110 hitting percentage in its early season upset.
In the first set a big block from Karin Bull at 3-3 put Ohio up 4-3 and the ‘Cats never looked back from there as they led for the remainder of the opening. LSU took a timeout with Ohio leading 18-11, a break that LSU badly needed to try and regain some traction. Instead of letting LSU get in a rhythm, Ohio’s Ali Lake had big blocks on two consecutive points, and the set went to Ohio, 25-19.
Ohio took the second set 25-19 as well to take a commanding lead in the match after a slow start from both teams. With LSU up 12-10 the Bobcats reeled off a streak of four-straight points that started with a ferocious kill from Bull – one of three on the day for her.
With Ohio up late in the set 21-16 Abby Gilleland was doing it all as she served, then kept the point going with two great digs that eventually led to Shelby Walker cleaning up the point with a kill.
Up next for the ‘Cats is a matchup with Xavier at 7:30 p.m. The last time the two teams met the Bobcats swept the Musketeers, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-19), on Sept. 12, 2014, at the Millennium Hotel Invitational in Cincinnati.