Ohio Volleyball travels to two Michigan schools this weekend for its first pair of MAC matches. The Bobcats face Eastern Michigan University on Friday in Ypsilanti and Michigan and Central Michigan University on Saturday in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
The Bobcats head into these matches riding high off their current three-game win streak and look to not only improve on their 7-4 record but also start conference play on the right foot.
Match One Information:
Opponent: Eastern Michigan Eagles
Location: Ypsilanti, Michigan
Time: Friday at 4 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Follow live stats here
Match Two Information:
Opponent: Central Michigan Chippewas
Location: Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Time: Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
No broadcasts are listed for this match. Follow live stats here
Player Spotlight
Ohio: Torre Kildow, senior outside hitter, elevated her play as of late and led the way for Ohio last weekend in its 3-0 homestand at the Bobcat Invitational. She totals 99 kills on the season, with 36 of them coming from that three-game win streak.
Kildow missed Ohio’s previous two games against Penn State and Stanford before the Bobcat Invitational but bounced back strongly in Ohio’s first home matches of 2026. The Bobcats could benefit from Kildow maintaining that level of production as conference play ensues this weekend.
Eastern Michigan: Azra Eriç, senior middle blocker, is a force on the defensive side of the ball this season for the Eagles. She holds the MAC’s second highest blocks count with 60 in total, which translated to an eye-popping 1.28 blocks per set.
Countering her defensive prowess needs to be a key factor in Ohio head coach Kenzie Brinkman’s game plan this Friday in order for Ohio’s hitters to produce at the rate they have been all season long.
Central Michigan: Brytn Lyon, setter, is off to a hot start through the first 14 matches of her sophomore year. She racked up a lofty total of 278 assists, making her one of the top playmakers in the MAC.
The matchup between Lyon setting up CMU’s hitters and Ohio’s setters Rowan Kelly and Lillie Meinhart doing the same for their hitters will be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on come Saturday.
Weekend Outlook
Ohio enters the weekend with a 7-4 overall record, hopeful to begin conference play 2-0. Being back on the road after an entire weekend of home matches only adds to the challenge of early conference play, but riding a three-game win streak into these matches could greatly benefit the Bobcats.
“Every team in the MAC is good this year, but for us it’s about taking care of our business day in and day out. If we do that, the other 20% of worrying about the other team will fall into place,” Brinkman said after last weekend’s wins.
EMU currently holds a 7-6 record overall and is 1-0 in MAC play following its sweep of CMU Tuesday. Similar to Ohio, EMU gained valuable experience against major opponents so far, as it took on the University of Michigan earlier this month. Already having a taste of in-conference action could also be beneficial for the Eagles this Friday.
CMU had a rough first few games, sitting at 0-14 on the season and 0-1 in MAC play after being on the wrong side of EMU’s recent sweep. The Chippewas only won two sets all season long, making this match a prime opportunity for the Bobcats to walk away with an early conference win.
The Bobcats are no strangers to playing on the road, as they are away from home for eight of their 11 matches this season. This acclimation to playing outside of the Convo could be beneficial as Ohio aims to pick up its first MAC wins in Michigan this weekend.
@JackMuldowney1
