Ohio celebrates the opening weekend at the Marshall Invitational with the volleyball team sitting at 3-0 to begin the 2026 campaign. The Bobcats didn’t lose a single one of their nine sets, sweeping all three matches against Bucknell, Niagara and Marshall.
The season began Friday morning against Bucknell in a match that saw the Bobcats establish dominance early on. They started the match and season on a high note, taking the first set 25-16. Bucknell countered with some resistance in set two, but the Bobcats still took a 2-0 match lead, winning 25-21. Ohio rolled through set three with a 25-19 win to secure the season-opening sweep defeating Bucknell 3-0.
Opposite hitter Bailey Blair, whose position recently changed from middle blocker, showed out in her first match with her new title. Her 15 kills through the three sets against Bucknell were a significant factor toward the Bobcats’ opening win.
The Bobcats used their momentum from the Bucknell match to come out as the clear aggressor against Niagara later that day. A 25-10 win in set one laid the foundation for Ohio to dominate the entire match. Set two was a 25-11 win for the Bobcats, and the third set was a repeat of the first, another 25-10 win as Ohio completed another sweep.
That was a lopsided affair from start to finish, as the Bobcats totaled more aces, blocks, assists, digs and 29 more kills than the Purple Eagles. Outside hitter Torre Kildow was a major catalyst of OU’s dominance in that set. She shone on both sides of the ball with 11 kills and seven digs.
The Bobcats’ most anticipated match of the opening weekend and the one that became the sweetest win pitted them against their rival: the Marshall Thundering Herd. Marshall was on its home court and started fast, pushing the Bobcats to the wire in an electric first set. Ohio managed to escape, though, taking the 27-25 win in a set that went the distance.
The wear and tear on the Thundering Herd was evident in set two in which Ohio took a more comfortable 25-16 win. That was followed up by a similar performance in set three where the Bobcats won 25-17 to secure their third and final sweep of the weekend.
Freshman outside hitter Rose Mahin made a loud statement in that set, as her 14 kills and 13 digs contributed greatly to the Bobcats defeating Marshall and getting off to a 3-0 start on the season.
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One player who stood out the entire weekend and led the Bobcats to that hot start was Blair, who began her sophomore season on a high note during the weekend in Huntington, West Virginia. Between the three matches, Blair tallied the Bobcats’ most points and kills at 43.5 and 38 respectively. She also demonstrated great defensive skills, racking up 16 digs and 7 total blocks.
She was placed under high expectations heading into the current season after winning MAC Freshman of the Year last season, and is already living up to them just three matches in. Fans need not worry about when it comes to Blair showing up and showing out.
Marshall’s Cam Henderson Center may have felt like the Convocation Center for Ohio this past weekend as they made themselves at home and dominated the Marshall Invitational. That 3-0 start is all coach Kenzie Brinkman could have asked for in her first weekend as permanent head coach, and her team looks poised to compete at a high level all season long.
The Bobcats look to keep the momentum rolling this Thursday and Friday when they travel to Indianapolis, Indiana for the Hampton Inn Invitational to take on IU Indy and Youngstown State.
@JackMuldowney1
