Ohio (13-15, 11-5 Mid-American Conference) is coming home this weekend to close out its regular season against Western Michigan (15-14, 12-4 MAC) after a dominant road trip. This road trip by Ohio included sweeps of both Central Michigan and Northern Illinois. Their sweep of Northern Illinois also clinched the Bobcats a spot in the MAC tournament. Now that the Bobcats have clinched the tournament, their series against the Broncos is all about seeding.
Ohio is currently seeded third in the MAC, which is their highest ranking all season, but with the last two games, their ranking can still change a lot. Depending on how Ohio and other MAC teams close out their seasons, Ohio can finish anywhere between second and fifth.
A lot is at stake for Ohio in this home series against Western Michigan. The Broncos are currently one game ahead of Ohio at number two. If Ohio sweeps Western Michigan, it will jump to number two in the tournament. Western Michigan just needs to beat the Bobcats one time to clinch the second seed in the postseason.
When MAC play started, Ohio dropped the first four games and was dead last in the conference. With a 2-14 record and a 0-4 MAC record, it was looking like Ohio’s season was over. Then all of a sudden, Ohio beat Kent State on the road, and something began to click for the Bobcats.
Fast forward a month and two days, and Ohio is third in the MAC and has a real shot at getting the second seed with a MAC-best 10-1 record since that win on the road against Kent State. Ohio’s only loss came in a dog fight against top-seeded Ball State, which they then swept the very next day.
Western Michigan has been consistently good all season, but just like Ohio, the Broncos have been just as hot recently. In Western Michigan's last nine games, they are 8-1 with four 3-0 victories. Since conference play has started, the Broncos have been average on the road with a 4-3 record. In those seven games, their set record is barely positive, at 14-12.
Since the start of Ohio’s dominant run, it has been a perfect 5-0 at home with two 3-0 wins and a set record of 15-4. Every home game for Ohio saw more and more people as they kept winning. The Bobcats' last home game was rowdy and electric with fan involvement. Ohio’s dominant streak plus a good crowd gives the Bobcats a great chance in this final regular-season series.
The Western Michigan player to look out for is senior middle blocker Mary Clare Brusek. She is currently ninth in the MAC and first on her team in kills with 333 and eighth in the MAC in hitting percentage with .300. Another Bronco to keep an eye on is freshman setter Leah Richmond. She is first in the MAC in assists with 1081, and ninth in digs with 356. If you look at the MAC statistics, it shows how dominant Western Michigan has been on the court with a bunch of different players contributing.
Just like the Broncos, the Bobcats are also very good at spreading the love. This spreading the love game plan from the Bobcats has been the main reason for their dominant run. Senior setter Kendall White is 10th in the MAC in assists with 619 despite missing time due to injury.
The Bobcats look to attack behind the service line, led by freshman outside hitter Mady Long, who is fifth in the MAC in aces with 30, and sophomore setter Bryn Janke with .35 aces per set. Then, last but certainly not least, freshman middle blocker Bailey Blair is 10th in the conference in points with 361 and 3.34 points per set.
This weekend, Ohio is fighting Western Michigan for the second seed in the MAC tournament in the final two games of the year. This matchup sees two of the most dominant teams in the conference, so it is going to be a dogfight. These teams have been so hot as of late, and both have so much to play for, but only time will tell whether the Bobcats can win their way into the second seed or if Western Michigan will hold them off.
