Ohio (9-4 overall, 2-0 Mid-American Conference) is back at home Friday and Saturday to host The University of Akron (6-8 overall, 1-1 MAC) in two straight matches. With multiple MAC matches now under both teams’ belts, this doubleheader should bring high-level competition to the Convocation Center.
Both teams are searching to cement themselves at the top of the MAC, and Ohio will be off to a fast start in doing so if it can reach a 4-0 MAC record with two wins this weekend. The Zips are eager to do the same, while also looking to avenge their recent 0-3 loss to Toledo. Leaving Athens with a 3-1 MAC record could help Akron flip the switch the rest of this season.
Doubleheader Information
Opponent: Akron Zips
Location: Ohio University Convocation Center
Times: Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m.
Watch: YouTube and ESPN+
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Player Spotlight
Ohio: Opposite hitter Bailey Blair shined in the first 13 matches of her sophomore season. Blair’s 126 kills lead the team in that mark, and she also tallied 15 blocks to go along with 68 digs, a lofty number for a front line player.
Blair is the Bobcats’ leader, and proves her value game in and game out with constant high-level production. She is responsible for 144 total points this season, which is top 10 in the conference. There is no doubt Blair will show up and show out every match, and she will surely do so this weekend as the Bobcats aim to stay perfect in MAC play.
Akron: Chidera Ozoh, a senior middle blocker, is a force on the defensive side of the ball for Akron. She racked up a total of 57 blocks thus far, which ranks fourth in the MAC in that category.
Ozoh is also a formidable threat to finish plays on offense, as her 112 kills are nothing to scoff at. The matchup of Ozoh versus the likes of Blair, as well as Ohio’s starting middle blocker Emily Waddell, could be a very entertaining one.
Weekend Outlook
Akron is in the midst of an up-and-down season, sitting with a 6-8 overall record. As the Zips try to improve that mark and recover from being swept at home by Toledo last Friday, they are desperate to get back on track. Akron did, however, sweep Kent State on the road last Wednesday, and a convincing conference win could benefit Akron this weekend in the Convo.
The Bobcats, on the other hand, are as hot as ever. They are riding a five-game win streak that has improved their record to 9-4 on the season, and they got off to a dominant 2-0 start in MAC play last weekend. Being back at home could benefit Ohio greatly in trying to extend this win streak and remain undefeated in conference play.
Ohio enters this weekend looking to further prove it is a true force in the MAC. Two more early conference wins would push that agenda forward and prove that Ohio’s 9-4 record is no fluke. It will be interesting to see how being back in the Convo will propel the Bobcats’ efforts this weekend, and they are sure to be prepared for battle.
jm760224@ohio.edu
@JackMuldowney1
