Another pivotal weekend looms for Ohio, as two division rivals are set to enter The Convo and take the court with the Mid-American Conference leading Bobcats.
Ohio (14-8, 9-1 MAC) will face off with Miami and Bowling Green this weekend in effort to continue its nine-match winning streak, which has spanned more than a month and is the team’s longest since 2009.
However, the Bobcats’ last loss came to the Falcons, who are also tied for a share of the conference lead and have been rolling past their opponents in MAC play.
“I think the second time around against these teams will be much harder, and it starts this weekend,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis. “It’s going to be a brutal last three weeks of the season starting this weekend and then going on the road facing teams battling for (conference) positioning.”
Before the showdown between the two first-place squads, Ohio will attempt to sweep its season series with Miami Friday.
The RedHawks (3-7, 8-15 MAC) have not had much luck against the Bobcats recently, having lost six consecutive matches to Ohio — all of which have been in straight sets.
Miami’s top threats are freshman middle hitter Jenny Ingle, the reigning MAC East offensive player of the week, and sophomore outside hitter Meg Riley, who received the honors the week prior.
The duo has been a major factor in the RedHawks’ current three-match winning streak. Riley has been dominant at the net with 51 kills in the past three matches, while Ingle has also added 34 kills during that span.
Miami is tied for ninth place in the overall conference standings, but the RedHawks have rebounded after losing seven consecutive matches to begin MAC play.
Saturday, Ohio will go against Bowling Green to decide the top two spots in not only the MAC East, but the conference overall.
In the teams’ first meeting of the season — both teams’ MAC-opener — the Falcons (14-8, 9-1 MAC) swept the Bobcats, handing Ohio its first loss in the MAC East since 2010.
“Every match is of equal opportunity,” Theis said. “We have to bring it each match if we want to win a championship. It doesn’t matter who we play, but we need to win every match if we want to win a championship.”
Not only are both teams tied for the best record, but both are also ranked within the top four in every statistical category besides service aces in MAC play.
Bowling Green will be in action against Kent State on Friday before heading to Athens. The Falcons swept the Golden Flashes in straight sets earlier this season.
Both matches this weekend have special themes, as Friday is “Dig Pink Night” for breast cancer awareness, while Saturday will be the Bobcats’ senior night, when outside hitter Faith Robins and setter Leah Petrovich will be recognized.
The two matches this weekend will be the last in The Convo this year, as Ohio will hit the road the next two weekends to finish regular season play before the MAC tournament begins.
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