Ohio volleyball coach Geoff Carlston will lead his team into conference play for the fourth time in his career tonight. In doing so, Carlston and the Bobcats will defend their title of three-time Mid-American Conference champions and begin working for their fourth straight conference title.
Carlston has basically made wining MAC matches something that is expected from Ohio since he took over the helm of the Bobcats in 2003. In his three years, Carlston has put together a record of 47-1 against MAC opponents, and the Bobcats are on a 41-match conference winning streak.
Not only are the No. 20 Bobcats (8-3) ready to continue their conference dominance and strive to set more records, but Carlston is poised for another entry in the history books this weekend. With two victories this weekend, Carlston could reach the 100-win plateau not even halfway through his fourth year with the program. But don't ask him about his records, he is too busy putting together a plan to keep his team on top.
It's hard to stay on top
and that is why you rarely see a team win over and over again Carlston said. Teams are getting better and every time a team plays us we expect them to play their best match of the year.
This weekend, those teams Carlston expects to play their best are the Akron Zips and the Buffalo Bulls. Tonight, the Bobcats will begin their fifth-straight weekend on the road as they travel north for two matches.
The Zips enter tonight's match with a record of 7-7, 1-0 MAC, and the Bulls are off to a strong start at 11-5. When Ohio faces the Zips in Rhodes Arena, Carlston will return to the only MAC venue in which he has lost a match. That loss came in the 2003 season and was the only match that prevented the 'Cats from going undefeated three-straight seasons in conference play.
Akron and Buffalo have good records and while they haven't played a tough schedule
they are going to come into the matches confident
Carlston said. Fortunately or unfortunately
there are no gimmies in this conference
if any team thinks they have an easy game that is when they are going to get bit
he added.
And the Bobcats definitely don't want to get bit. Outside hitter Stephanie Blackburn made that fact known after last weekend's matches in San Diego, where the Bobcats went 2-1, dropping their third match of the season. The loss came to San Diego and snapped Ohio's 66-match winning streak against opponents not ranked in the top 25. The Toreros are ranked at No. 26 this week in the AVCA poll.
We are unbelievably focused going into conference play
Blackburn said. We are going into practice every day and playing every match trying to beat ourselves and do everything better than before.
Middle blocker Jane Sytsma said she knows how tough the MAC is becoming even though she is a freshman. Sytsma said she knows that she came into a program with an ever-growing target on its back and that the Bobcats are prepared to reach the top.
After us knocking off a lot of good teams already this year
a lot of teams are out to get us
and our target keeps growing
