Sports
Ohio Volleyball experiences growing pains through non-conference slate
By: Marc Goldstein
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — As the first season of the Kenzie Brinkman era continues to get into full swing, the program has watched as the team shows signs of youth and inexperience. Ohio (2-10) enters MAC play with the worst non-conference winning percentage in the conference. That being said, the entire season remains in front of Ohio as MAC play allows for a clean slate over the course of the rest of the campaign.
The non-conference slate started off strong as Ohio won its first match of the season, a resounding 3-1 win over Bucknell to kick off the Bobcat Invitational. The second match was a big test for Brinkman’s team with a Power 4 team, Iowa State, awaiting. Ohio could not rise to the occasion and get its first Power 4 win since 2019. The sting of that loss came with the asterisk that the talent levels between the teams was palpable. Going into the final day of the Bobcat Invitational, the opportunity to take two of the first three matches felt real with an evenly-matched Eastern Illinois team. However, errors and inefficiency at the net doomed Ohio into getting swept to a 1-2 weekend.
That win against Chattanooga turned out to be the last win Ohio would pick up in the non-conference slate. The last six matches of the non-conference schedule varied in how competitive Ohio was. The first three matches were virtually un-winnable considering the opponents: Ohio State, No. 7 Pitt and Wright State. All three of those teams possess more talent than Ohio and played a cleaner game, leading to Ohio getting swept during the weekend. The teams featured in the final three matches of non-conference play were far more evenly matched. However, that did not lead to wins as Ohio lost all three matches to Maryland-Eastern Shore, Charlotte and Furman.
One of the prevailing themes of the opening month-and-a-half of the season have been errors and sloppy play. Ohio has committed 306 errors this season compared to 186 by its opponents. Moreover, the service line has been a place where Ohio has struggled with nearly double the amount of service errors (139) than aces (75). While errors are a part of the sport, continuously giving away points makes winning more difficult. As a team, Ohio is hitting .141 this season compared to .241 by its opponents.
It was apparent from the onset of the season that Ohio would struggle with a lot of inexperience on the outside, contributing to some of the growing pains for this team. Five of the players who have been the biggest contributors are underclassmen. Even some of the upperclassmen in the regular rotation have not had a ton of starting experience. The lack of experience has, at times doomed Ohio, but it has also produced some spurts of strong play that gives hope for the future.
Ohio will be able to get into a rhythm at home following the extended road stretch. When Ohio faces Akron on Oct. 3, it will mark 33 days since the Bobcats have had a home match. The weekend at home will kick off a stretch of six out of seven matches at The Convo. That stretch of matches will be vital to Ohio if it hopes to make the MAC Tournament as the final two teams to come to Athens, Miami and Eastern Michigan, were picked to finish below Ohio in the MAC Preseason Poll.
The final 16 matches of the year are, in the eyes of some, when the real season begins. For Ohio to shake off its rough non-conference slate and demonstrate some of the promise that comes with a young roster, errors will need to be minimized. If Ohio plays clean volleyball, there is a real chance for it to make a splash in the MAC. The difficult part, though, is turning that potential into real production between the white lines.