On the first day of action in the Bobcat Invitational, the Ohio (3-5) swept its opposition in all six sets the team played on the day, winning both matches in a doubleheader at The Convo.
“I thought we finished well today,” Ohio coach Ryan Theis said. “With the exception of one or two of the sets, we earned the victories, instead of the other team giving it to us. It was great to see.”
The first match of the day the Bobcats took the court was against Niagara (3-5), who was swept by Ohio in straight sets (25-13, 25-20, 25-23).
Offensively, Ohio was led by Mid-American Conference East offensive player of the week Kelly Lamberti, who recorded a double-double of 17 kills and 11 digs in the victory. Also contributing majorly for the Bobcat offense was middle blocker Lexie Hartnett, who added nine kills.
The Bobcats led every point of the first two sets, as the home team won by 12 points in the first game. The Purple Eagles could not find an answer to the Bobcat offense, allowing Ohio to record 45 kills in the match.
In the second match of the day, Ohio continued its dominance in front of the home crowd, defeating Belmont (1-7) in the minimum amount of sets.
With wins of 25-20, 25-11 and 25-18, Ohio was not only an offensive threat in the match, but also very solid defensively with nine blocks in the contest.
Outside hitter Chelsea Bilger led the way for the Bobcats, recording 13 kills on her way to a 16-point performance. Also contributing a solid performance for Ohio was libero Meredith Ashy, who completed 11 digs in the win.
The Bobcats handed the Bruins their seventh consecutive loss, as Belmont has battled injuries and dealt with a thin roster to this point in the season.
Ohio will be back in action on Saturday, as the team looks to clinch its own tournament against the Montana State Bobcats.
“We’re playing for a tournament championship tomorrow and it’s exciting,” Theis said. “Montana State has shown great character so far and is going to give us a handful. That’s for sure.”
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