Winning a set is a necessary step to winning a volleyball match, and each of Ohio’s conference opponents has been left three steps short of victory.
The Bobcats (12-6, 4-0 MAC) put their undefeated record on the line against a good defensive team and came away with the win in similar fashion against Eastern Michigan.
Ohio did not surrender a set (25-17, 26-24, 25-19) and has won 23 straight sets against MAC opposition dating back to last season.
Theis attributed his team’s conference success to a combination of things.
“I think we have caught teams on their off nights. As I look at the losses around the league, good teams don’t have multiple players playing well,” Theis said. “Our players have shown up and performed well.”
In the first set, Ohio turned a 14-12 lead into a 19-12 advantage and would eventually win the set.
The Bobcats had five-and-a-half blocks in the set. Ohio turned the second set in its favor by transforming a 14-11 deficit into an 18-15 advantage. The Eagles evened the score to 24-24 before Kelly Lamberti earned a kill and then combined with Katie Post for the block to win the set.
Ohio took advantage of Eagle miscues in the third set and closed out the match.
Theis said his team knew that Eastern Michigan was a good defensive team and he was proud of the way his team approached the match.
Ohio ran a balanced offense to help offset the 67 digs that the Eagles accrued.
“The MAC West is very good defensively. I was proud of our team and that we tied them in digs,” Theis said. “ We knew kills were not going to come easily.”
Freshmen Chelsea Bilger and Lamberti continued their impressive freshmen campaigns. Both had double-doubles.
Post and redshirt sophomore Lexie Hartnett chipped in with 15 kills between them in the match.
Theis also downplayed the results his team has achieved thus far and said both timing and luck have played a role in the 4-0 conference start.
He said that it would be impossible for both left-side attaches (Bilger and Lamberti) and both middle blockers (Post and Hartnett) to keep producing simultaneously for the rest of the season.
nr225008@ohio.edu
