After an up and down year, Sue Jacobi and the Bobcats managed to play their best when it mattered most.
The Bobcats won their seventh Mid-American Conference tournament in eight years and qualified for their eighth-straight NCAA tournament appearance following a 3-0 sweep of Northern Illinois Sunday afternoon.
Our experience really played a big role
Jacobi said. The fact that we do play our best at the end of the year all that combined the urgency -- we're unstoppable whenever we have all that in us.
Ohio (21-11) became the first team since 2001 to win the MAC tournament by sweeping its three matches. The previous team to accomplish that was Ohio's opponent in the finals, Northern Illinois.
Theis pointed to luck as a reason for the three sweeps. Miami played two five-set matches in the first round and quarterfinals of the tournament before facing Ohio, while the Buffalo has a long distance to travel.
In all honesty
there are years where breaks fall your way
he siad. Obviously
Miami was fatigued after all that. So
that was a semi-final match where we definitely had an advantage.
I'd be lying if I said our seed didn't help us.
In the championship match
Jacobi took control for the bobcats early.
The senior outside hitter recorded 11 kills with a .429 hitting percentage. She added eight digs and a service ace as the bobcats quickly took a 2-0 lead over the huskies.
Jacobi added seven kills in the final set
giving her a game-high 18. She finished with a .400 hitting percentage
also a game-high.
She earned the most valuable player award for the tournament.
Following a slow start in the second set when Ohio went down 6-2
the Bobcats clawed back into the set up by a potent offensive performance. Ohio hit .441 and eventually took the set
