Home is usually where people feel most comfortable, but being comfortable in old ways is not always the best.
Ohio (17-9, 9-3 Mid-American Conference) cannot afford to be complacent after clinching the MAC East last weekend. The remaining games on the schedule hold too much significance.
“With straight seeding, we are still fighting for a seed,” coach Ryan Theis said. “We could finish anywhere from one to seven at this point, hopefully in the two to five range based on how we do.”
In past seasons, the two division winners would lock up a first-round bye, but the conference got rid of that system and opted for one that begins with a quarterfinal round in which only eight teams qualify.
The team remains focused on getting better and playing its best volleyball at the end of the season.
Theis would not pinpoint any specifics but said there are some areas where the team needs to improve.
“There’s still things we need to be better at that we’re trying to fix that we’re not getting a lot of time this week to do,” he said.
He said there is plenty of time to prepare for weekend matches, but the largest problem is the limited practice time as the winter sports seasons get started.
Entering the final stretch of the season, Theis said he expects every opposing team to play its best against Ohio, and Kent State is no different.
“(The Golden Flashes) are coming off a win against Miami. They were down 0-2, came back and won in five (sets),” Theis said. “So they are going to be playing with some confidence.”
Despite winning the division, the team has stopped feeling as if it has a target on its back.
“It’s no different than usual. Everyone wants to beat us; everybody gets fired up to play us,” Theis said. “We have a lot of teams that love to try and get us when we are young. A target has always been on our back. We’ve almost stopped focusing on that.”
In the matchup earlier this season, Ohio swept Kent State using an efficient offense. Katie Post led the way with 10 kills and a .643 hitting percentage, and three other Bobcats added six kills apiece to the offensive effort.
nr225008@ohiou.edu
