Ryan Theis has made it known that he wants his team playing its best volleyball in November.
Boasting a four-game winning streak, they are on the right track.
Ohio made quick work of Ball State on Saturday to finish a stretch of five of six matches on the road. The Bobcats bring their Mid-American Conference title aspirations back to The Convo to face Northern Illinois and Western Michigan tonight and tomorrow.
Unlike Toledo and Ball State, two teams Ohio dominated, the Bobcats have struggled with the Huskies and Broncos.
Northern Illinois has played three sets in 16 of 22 matches this season and owns a 12-4 record in those games.
The Bobcats are 10-12 all-time against the Huskies, but have taken the last five meetings. The visitors will meet an Ohio offense that has reached another gear in recent weeks. Junior outside hitter Ellen Herman led the squad with 27 kills last Friday, and as a team, Ohio averaged 14.62 kills per frame.
After falling behind early in the fifth set against Toledo, the Bobcats credited team focus for the come-from-behind win that kept their winning streak alive.
I think last weekend
we were waiting for that star moment to come back after the two losses (to Bowling Green and Miami) Herman said. We were down 10-14 in the final game against Toledo and came back to win.
It proved to us that we can come back from anything.
Western Michigan enters the weekend in sole possession of first place in the West division. The Broncos are 7-1 in the conference and 16-3 overall. The Bobcats swept the Broncos in their most recent meeting in 2007.
Theis' team has consistently improved its defense during the course of the season and with middle blocker Jane Sytsma playing her best volleyball of the season
Ohio's defense has found another element it can use to take over matches.
The Bobcats lead the MAC in blocks per frame (2.36)
despite missing the services of freshman Katie Post
who is still out with a foot injury.
We try to be physical with teams every week, Theis said. That's one advantage we feel we have over most teams in the conference. We have the ability to take over using our physicality.
Any time our first and second contacts are going well
we can do that. If we serve well
we can be more effective blockers.
HERMAN HONORED AGAIN
The Mid-American Conference announced earlier this week that outside hitter Ellen Herman has been named the MAC East Division Co-Player of the Week for the second time this season. The Toledo native tied a career-high in kills in the Bobcats' five-set win over the Rockets.
She had a terrific weekend
Theis said. She's had several big games at different times. While she hasn't always strung it together for complete matches like she did (last weekend), she still averaged over five kills per set.
,",17,Archives,Rob Mixer,200810249109midsize.jpeg,Ohio senior Whitney Maiden returns the ball during the Bobcats' Oct. 11 victory over Eastern Michigan. Ohio will host Northern Illinois and Western Michigan this weekend looking to extend its four-game winning streak.,",",",","
26354,2008-10-24 00:00:00,Volleyball: Bobcats look to extend win streak,",Ryan Theis has made it known that he wants his team playing its best volleyball in November.
Boasting a four-game winning streak
they are on the right track.
Ohio made quick work of Ball State on Saturday to finish a stretch of five of six matches on the road. The Bobcats bring their Mid-American Conference title aspirations back to The Convo to face Northern Illinois and Western Michigan tonight and tomorrow.
Unlike Toledo and Ball State
two teams Ohio dominated
