After setting yet another program milestone in Ohio’s Saturday victory, Kelly Lamberti has proven again she is on track to be the one of the best players in Bobcats history.
Lamberti, currently a junior outside hitter, was a four-year starter at Cary Grove High School in Cary, Ill. before coming to Ohio. She lead her nationally ranked team to the state final during her senior year, and was named the state’s player of the year by the likes of the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times.
It is easy to say that she’s been in the middle of success before.
The All-Around Player
During her career, Lamberti has proved to be a premier offensive weapon for the Bobcats. She kills the ball from both sides, and she also picks up an array of digs and blocks to help the defense consistently during each set.
“(Lamberti) does it all for us,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis. “She’s going to dig, she’s going to pass a huge chunk of the court and she’s bringing the jump serve back.”
Teams have to be conscious of her roaming presence on the court at all times, which then frees the Bobcats’ other hitters and helps them focus, Theis and others have noted.
“She’s been a really good all-around player,” said redshirt junior outside hitter Liis Kullerkann. “She gets a ton of sets — way more than anyone else — and she is still able to kill all of them with good efficiency. She plays defense, serves and does everything.”
History-Maker
Perhaps the most prestigious of Lamberti’s awards is her Mid-American Conference player of the year mark that she earned last season. She’s lived up to that billing again this season, having recorded her 1,000th career kill last month against Akron and leading the Bobcats to a 15-3 overall record.
She is one of just eight players in Ohio history to ever reach that mark in the rally-scoring era.
Her next challenge: surpass former Ohio outside hitter Sue Jacobi, who compiled 1,208 kills during her tenure in Athens from 2007-10.
At her current rate, there’s a chance she could surpass Ohio’s all-time record of 1,984 kills, set by Ellen Herman from 2006-09 — a notion Theis said is tough but possible, especially if Ohio makes postseason runs over the next two seasons, giving her an opportunity to rack up more kills.
Lamberti also recorded her 900th dig during Ohio’s Saturday victory against Eastern Michigan. Only eight Ohio players in the rally-scoring era have reached that mark, and just two others have notched both 1,000 kills and 900 digs in their careers.
Lamberti is also in the top 10 in Ohio history in per-set totals of aces, digs, kills and points, along with total aces. She is currently second in program history in kills per set with 3.72.
She has recorded 909 digs in her career — ninth in program history — and needs to add 51 more to move to eighth place. She could reasonably advance to at least third on Ohio’s all-time list, as she needs only 192 more digs to pass Katie Smith’s current third-place mark. Ohio’s top marks are set by sisters Stephanie and Michaele Blackburn, at 1,680 and 2,091, respectively.
“I think she’s going to break some records, and I think she’s going to potentially do a few things here that nobody’s ever done,” Theis said. “She’s a great player and great at all six rotations. One of the nicest things about this season is that she’s playing on our team.”
Despite the achievements and milestones that Lamberti has reached, she strives for team success in addition to individual accolades.
“I would love to see this team go far this year in the NCAA Tournament and be conference and MAC Tournament champs,” Lamberti said. “I want to be on an entire team that is remembered in history.”
The Leader On and Off the Court
As a freshman, Lamberti was led by a group of upperclassmen that included then-senior Katie Post, who led the Bobcats’ offense that year and has been sitting above Lamberti on the Bobcats’ all-time kills list since 2011.
Lamberti said that she looked up to Post and followed her example during her freshman season — something she has looked to emulate for her younger cohorts.
“I like helping them out when they need help, especially outside of volleyball,” Lamberti said. “I try to take them under my wing and help.”
Lamberti’s younger teammates are appreciative of her efforts.
Sophomore setter Abby Gilleland said Lamberti takes on a lot of accountability on the court so younger players don’t have to, showing a clear confidence in that role.
Excelling as a leader and a performer is tougher than it looks, Jacobi said.
“Keeping a leadership role from year to year and holding up to what your team expects you to do in your role — a leading point scorer in Kelly’s situation — is definitely difficult,” she said. “It’s something that you are always up to the challenge, especially when you are having such a good year as they are right now.”
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