Both Mid-American Conference division leaders took the court in The Convo on Saturday, but Ohio continued its dominance in conference play with a victory against Western Michigan.
The Bobcats (14-8, 9-1 MAC) extended their winning streak to nine matches with a straight-set sweep of the Broncos, despite the two squads battling back and forth in each set.
Western Michigan (14-9, 7-3 MAC) did not give Ohio many points through errors, but the Bobcats were able to pull away at the end of sets, winning by margins of six, seven and two points, respectively.
“We had to earn every point against the team; they were not going to give us any,” Ohio coach Ryan Theis said. “We executed pretty well and when we do that, our offense is tough to beat.”
In the first set, the Bobcats jumped out to an early 8-5 lead, but the Broncos battled back and tied the game at 14. Ohio then went on another run to end the match with a 25-19 victory to take a 1-0 advantage in the set.
Ohio carried its momentum into the second set, as the Bobcats did not trail in the set and did not allow the Broncos to make
a comeback.
However, in the third set, neither team was able to pull away from each other, as the score was tied at 11 different points in the game.
But once again, the Bobcats pulled away at the end of the set, led by sophomore middle blocker Serena Warner, who scored four and a half of the team’s final five points to end the set.
“After our win last night, we wanted to come out and stay aggressive,” sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Bilger said. “We came into the game feeling pretty good about the way we’ve been playing. I think that carried over to the court. Since we felt good, we played good. Simple as that.”
Bilger led the match in both kills (16) and points (17.5), while fellow sophomore outside hitter Kelly Lamberti added 14 kills
and points.
Defensively, Warner added two blocks and Lamberti notched 16 digs, both team-highs.
“I think when we are trying to win and compete for a championship, every win is of equal importance,” said Theis. “But it meant a lot to get the win at home and in three sets against an opponent who is very good.”
With a Bowling Green loss Friday to Ball State, the Bobcats and the Falcons are tied for the best record in the conference, as each team has one loss in MAC play.
cl027410@ohiou.edu
