The Ohio Bobcats women’s volleyball team is officially ready for regular season play after recently competing in two exhibition games against high-level opponents.
The team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky Aug. 8 to take on the third-ranked Kentucky Wildcats. The game was a lopsided affair on paper, and that showed in the results.
Kentucky won all four of the sets, and although disappointing for Ohio, there are certainly positives that come with facing such a high-powered foe. The game result does not go on the Bobcats’ record, and regardless of the score, gaining that level of experience in their first time on the court together might prove extremely valuable throughout the season.
Official stats from the match were not released as it was only an exhibition game. Four sets were played in the match, with a 3-0 sweep in Kentucky’s favor followed by an extra fourth set agreed-upon by both teams to allow both sides to go deeper into their benches. Therefore, every Bobcat got a taste of the high-level competition, allowing for more early-season experience.
The Bobcats also took on the Ohio State Buckeyes in a closed-door scrimmage Aug. 22 in Columbus. There are no official scores or stats posted from this matchup, but facing another high-major opponent in preseason play was a valuable test for Ohio.
These early matchups might prepare Ohio to head into regular season play where they will open the season against Niagara on Friday in Huntington, West Virginia at the Marshall Invitational.
No matter the results of either preseason match, coach Kenzie Brinkman was very smart to schedule two high-major opponents to fully prepare her squad for the regular season. The experience could pay dividends when the Bobcats take on other high-major opponents during the regular season. These opponents include Butler, Penn State and Stanford. Preseason tests might also give Ohio a valuable edge over several of its rivals in the MAC come conference play in late September.
Player Spotlight
As Ohio heads into the 2026 regular season, one player who projects to be a major contributor after a stellar freshman year is middle blocker Bailey Blair, a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. Blair’s performances from the two exhibitions are unknown as no stats were released, but she is a shoe-in to hold down the middle for the Bobcats all season long.
Blair came to OU last fall as a freshman from Assumption High School in Louisville, Kentucky. She hit the ground running in her first season of college volleyball, leading the team with 360 kills and also racking up 51 total blocks. Those numbers led her to earn very high honors as only a freshman, being named the 2025 MAC Freshman of the Year and also being part of the All-MAC First Team.
Coach Brinkman and Ohio fans might count on Blair to continue dominating the court as she returns for year two, and there is a lot of promise for her to even make another leap this season.
@JackMuldowney1
