Despite having won five consecutive Mid-American Conference matches and ranking among the top three teams in digs, blocks, kills and assists in MAC competition, Ohio does not sit atop the conference standings.
Bowling Green, which defeated the Bobcats 3-0 in the teams’ MAC opener, is alone in first place and the only team without a loss through the first three weekends of conference action.
Since losing to the Falcons, the Bobcats (10-8, 5-1) won each of the 15 sets in which they have played, breaking a 13-set streak earlier this season, and have the longest set winning streak since the Bobcats won 20 in 2007.
The five-match winning streak is also the longest for Ohio since winning seven straight matches last year, before the team exited the MAC Tournament with a loss to Central Michigan.
“It’s been great to see us playing more consistent,” Ohio coach Ryan Theis said. “When the streak started, I thought we were struggling one set per match, and this weekend, we wanted to see if we could put together three good sets in a row or more, and we did.”
The Bobcats have won most of their matches on their home court, including the last four, as Ohio is 8-2 in The Convo. However, the majority of schools in the MAC have defended their home arenas with a combined 22-14 record in conference play.
Ohio will hit the road this weekend for matches at both Toledo and Ball State, but the Bobcats are just 2-4 away from home, including a three-match losing streak that came between the two lengthy set winning streaks.
“It seems like wins on the road in the MAC this year may be hard to come by,” Theis said. “Playing on the road this weekend is going to be a test. Our first MAC weekend, we went 1-1, and if we want to win the championship, there are going to be some weekends we have to take two.”
Individual Accolades
Sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Bilger was named the MAC East offensive player of the week for the first time in her career Monday, after notching double-digit kills in sweeps of both Akron and Buffalo.
Bilger became the fourth Bobcat to receive weekly honors this season. She joins fellow sophomore outside hitter Kelly Lamberti, who won the offensive honors twice, as well as freshman libero Meredith Ashy and sophomore middle blocker Serena Warner, who both received the defensive honors once.
Offensively, Lamberti is second in the conference in service aces per set and fourth in kills, while Ashy is fifth overall in digs per set.
The Bobcats also still rank first overall in the MAC in blocking, with Warner leading individual players with an average of 1.37 blocks per set.
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