Pregame
Ohio (16-3, 6-1 MAC) entered Saturday off a 3-1 victory over Toledo on Friday, in which it took three straight sets after dropping the first set in The Convo. The Bobcats were in first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division after Friday's win.
Ball State (18-4, 6-1 MAC) came into Athens after a victory on Friday in Kent. The Cardinals had a four game winning streak after defeating Kent State in four sets. Ball State was in first place in the MAC West after Friday.
The Cardinals had lead the MAC, before Saturday's play, in kills and assists per set, while ranking second in aces, and third in hitting percentage.
The two teams are tied for first overall in the conference. On Friday, both the teams defeated the only team that they other had lost to in conference play.
The all-time series was lead by Ball State at 15-33 before Saturday, the Bobcats took the only matchup during last season in straight sets in Muncie, Ind.
Follow @ThePostSports on Twitter for more in-game updates from Staff Writer and volleyball beat writer Alex Busch.
First Set
Ball State got off to an early 3-1 lead, but then Ohio strung a few points together to tie the set at 4, and then again at 5.
The teams went back and forth, until a two point swing gave the Cardinals a three point lead, Ohio shrunk the margin to two points, at 11-9.
Ball State then scored three of the next four points, which forced Ohio to take a timeout. The Cardinals then led 14-10.
The Bobcats cut the Cardinals' lead to three, but then Ball State went on a short 3-0 run, which forced Ohio to take a timeout. Ball State then led 19-13.
The teams exchanged a point each, but then two blocks by Abby Gilleland and an ace by Meredith Ashy during a 3-1 run forced Ball State to take its first timeout. The Cardinals then led 21-17.
The teams exchanged points, but then Ohio put together a three point run. This forced Ball State to take a timeout. The Cardinals led 23-21.
After the timeout, Ball State won two straight points, which gave the Cardinals the set despite the late push by the Bobcats.
Final: Ohio 21, Ball State 25
Second Set: Ohio 0, Ball State 1
The teams exchanged the first four points, but then a two kills each by Karin Bull and Gilleland help the Bobcats take four straight points. The Cardinals take a timeout. Ohio led 7-4.
Right after the timeout, the Bobcats scored five straight points, to increase their run to 9-0. Ball State then scored two straight to narrow Ohio's margin to six. Ohio led 12-6.
After the Cardinals two points, a kill each by Mallory Salis and Bull force Ball State to take a timeout. Ohio then led 14-6.
After the timeout, the teams exchanged four points each, but a 3-0 run by the Bobcats extend their lead to 10. Ohio then led 20-10.
The teams exchanged one point each, but then four straight points were scored by Ball State. Ohio took a timeout, as they lead 22-15
After the timeout, Ball State won two out of the next three points. Horton killed the ball two straight times to give Ohio the set. Bull had five kills in the set.
Final: Ohio 25, Ball State 17
Third Set: Ohio 1, Ball State 1
The two teams started the set by scoring two points each, but then a kill by Kullerkann and a combined block by Bull and Lamberti gave the Bobcats a 5-3 lead.
The teams exchange points for a while, then a Gilleland kill during a long volley gives Ohio a 12-10 lead. Lamberti was hurt on the play, and was taken to the locker room on crutches.
Ball State tied the game up, and then used a four point run to take a 16-13 lead. Ohio took a timeout.
Ohio went on a 4-1 run, which included an ace by Meredith Ashy, which forced Ball State to take a timeout. The set was then tied at 17.
Following the timeout, the Bobcats scored two straight points to take a 19-17 lead. Ball State then scored thre of the next four to tie the match back up at 20.
The teams exchange points, but then two straight points by Ball State gave the Cardinals a late 23-22 lead. Ohio then called timeout.
After the timeout, Ball State wins two straight points, and takes the set by a close margin of three.
Final: Ohio 22, Ball State 25
Fourth Set: Ohio 1, Ball State 2
Ohio started the set with a 4-1 lead, including two kills by Alexis Pinson. Ball State took a timeout.
Ohio then used a 5-1 run to increase its lead to six. Then two more kills in three plays gave the Bobcats an 11-4 lead.
The Bobcats scored three of the next five points, including an ace by Mallory Salis. Ball State took a timeout, Ohio led 14-5.
After the timeout, the Bobcats increased their run to 8-1, taking a 20-6 lead in the set.
Ball State then scored four straight points, and Ohio took a timeout, as they led 20-10.
An ace by Gilleland and a kill by Salis helped Ohio stretch its lead to 12. Ohio then led 23-11.
The teams exchange points, but another kill by Salis helps Ohio finish the set with a 12 point victory.
Final: Ohio 25, Ball State 13
Fifth Set: Ohio 2, Ball State 2
The teams went back and forth for the first 10 points, but then Ball State grabbed two straight points, which forced Ohio to take a timeout. Ball State led 7-5.
After the timeout, Salis kills the ball after a long volley, but then Ball State scores one more point before the teams switch sides. Ball State led 8-6.
After switching sides, Horton kills the ball, followed by a Ball State violation. The game was tied 8-8.
Ohio tied it up again at 9, but then three straight points by Ball State forced Ohio to take a timeout. Ball State then led 12-9.
Ball State scored three of the next four points after the timeout. The Cardinals took the set by five.
Final: Ohio 10, Ball State 15
Final: Ohio 2, Ball State 3 (21-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-13, 10-15)
Ohio
Abby Gilleland - 42 assists, 13 digs, 4.5 blocks, 7 kills, 1 ace
Mallory Salis - 16 digs, 12 kills, 1 ace
Meredith Ashy - 31 digs, 9 assists, 3 aces
Katie Horton - 12 kills, 2 digs, 1 block
Kelly Lamberti - 12 digs, 4 blocks, 4 kills, 1 assist (left in third set)
Ball State
Alex Fuelling - 23 digs, 16 kills, 2 aces, 1 assist
Jacqui Seidel - 28 assists, 8 digs, 1 ace, 1.5 blocks, 1 kill
Kylee Baker - 22 digs, 3 kills, 1 assist
Reactions
"I thought we actually got things rolling in the third (set), we were playing relatively well. We hit the stubling block of the Kelly injury, I thought if we could have stolen that (set) then we would have been in pretty good shape." -- Coach Ryan Theis on the third set loss
"Throw all the numbers away, it didn't matter that we were out-hitting or out-blocking them. It was a quick game to 15, they got three kills late that we needed to make stops on." -- Theis on the fifth set performance
Up Next
Ohio (16-4, 6-2 MAC) drops to a tie for first place in the MAC East with Bowling Green. The Bobcats will look to rebound from Saturday's loss in a two-game road trip to Northern Illinois and Western Michigan next weekend.
Junior outside hitter Kelly Lamberti was hurt during the third set on Saturday. Theis said that only thing that the team knows is that she injured her ankle. This season, Lamberti leads the Bobcats in kills (242), and ranks second on the team in digs (220).
Northern Illinois (12-10, 4-4 MAC) hosts Ohio on Friday. The Huskies ended the Bobcats season last year as they beat Ohio in the MAC Tournament semi-finals. The all-time series between Northern Illinois is tied at 15 apiece.
Western Michigan (11-10, 4-4 MAC) will face Ohio on Saturday. The Broncos defeated Akron on Friday, before beating Buffalo on Saturday, both in straight-set sweeps. The Bobcats are 18-30-1 against the Broncos in all-time history, inclduing a 3-0 sweep victory in Athens last season.
