When Ellen Herman went down with an ankle injury, the team wasn't sure how much time she would miss.
After her performance this weekend, it's safe to say she didn't miss a beat.
The Toledo native led the charge for Ohio in wins over her hometown Rockets and Ball State this weekend. Against Toledo, she equaled a career high with 27 kills.
Ohio (13-6, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) scrapped out another five-set win on the road, outlasting a Rockets team that wouldn't go away quietly.
Herman's pair of kills in the final frame showed what the Bobcats missed in the previous weeks ' leadership by example and intensity.
(Herman) played well this weekend in virtually all aspects of the game
coach Ryan Theis said. Coming off her injury she did great.
Other than her ankle being a little tender and hard to push off, she's probably in the best health since the season started.
Complementing Herman on Friday were seniors Amanda Andersen and Whitney Maiden who chipped in 13 and 11 kills
respectively.
But it was Andersen's solo block in the final frame that pushed the Rockets to the brink. Herman provided the clinching kill.
Now that she's starting, she's played significantly more, especially with Katie (Post) out another couple of weeks, Theis said. She's made some clutch plays ' she just really wants the ball when the game is on the line, and that's a very valuable asset.
The Bobcats' defense
thought to be a major factor in the weekend set
was relatively quiet in a three-game sweep of Ball State on Saturday. What came to the forefront was Ohio's back row.
Sarah Petrulis had 22 digs (a career high) on Friday night
and added nine more against Ball State.
Senior Molly Mangan saw significant time in both matches
and was Ohio's most effective player from the service line with three aces on the weekend. The Bobcats went on several long scoring runs on Mangan's serve and rallied from numerous multiple-point deficits.
All four of our defensive specialists are good at different things, Theis said. Nicole (Staverman) has led us in aces, Meryl (Bender) has had three aces in a set and 22 digs. They've all stepped up at different times and made some really nice plays.
Molly didn't pass all that great
but we kept her in because every time she served
it was a long run for us.
On Saturday, Andersen added eight kills behind Herman's second double-digit kill total in two nights (19).
Ohio hit .356 as a team on Saturday night and held the Cardinals below 20 points in all three sets.
