In the final match of the regular season, Ohio will welcome Notre Dame into The Convo tonight, as both teams will attempt to boost their résumés to earn an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Bobcats (20-10) are coming off a semifinal round upset in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, after dropping a five-set thriller to Northern Illinois, while the Fighting Irish (20-8) were also upset in the Big East Tournament.
Ohio is 12-2 at home this season, with the lone losses coming from then-ranked No. 10 Kentucky and No. 17 Oregon, which is still in the polls in the No. 6 spot.
“These Thanksgiving weekend matches are fun and are almost always between teams that are hopeful to play in the NCAA Tournament,” Ohio coach Ryan Theis said. “We will go to (Notre Dame) next year, so hopefully this can become a nice two-year rivalry.”
Prior to their first round exit in the Big East Tournament, the Fighting Irish had won 11 of 12 matches, led by a pair of sophomores that earned their way onto the All-Big East first team this season. Outside hitter Toni Alugbue and right side hitter Jeni Houser rank first and second on the squad in points and kills.
The last meeting between the two teams was in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, when the Bobcats defeated the Fighting Irish in five sets. Ohio leads the all-time series 4-1.
With neither team winning its respective conference tournaments, both have a possibility of earning an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament at stake. However, Notre Dame possesses the better RPI of 34, as Ohio’s RPI is 62.
“If we can beat Notre Dame it would give us a Top 50 win and put us a little closer in the consideration (for the NCAA Tournament),” Theis said. “But an at-large bid is a pretty slim chance for us to this point.”
UP NEXT:
Who: OHIO vs. Notre Dame
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: The Convo
— Both teams are vying for an NCAA Tournament at-large berth
— Ohio defeated Notre Dame 3-2 in the teams’ most recent meeting in the 2009 NCAA Tournament
— The Bobcats are 12-2 in The Convo this season
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