The volleyball team did what no other Ohio sports team has done this season - crack the national ranking.
Now ranked No. 24 in the country, the Bobcats (14-2, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) earned 116 votes in this week's American Volleyball Coaches' Association (AVCA) poll, an accomplishment that Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt praised.
We have a tremendously successful volleyball program
he said. They have won back-to-back championships and have been recognized as one of the top volleyball programs. For us to continue to have success and receive national recognition is exceptional and a compliment to the young women who are on our team and the coaching staff.
For the two players who have been at Ohio the longest, middle blocker Julia Winkfield and outside hitter Holly Schetzsle, the ranking is very special.
Basically Julia and I are ecstatic Schetzsle said We were here when the program wasn't that hot and now we're ranked 24th in the country out of 317 teams. That's pretty cool. It's a great feeling actually to come from sort of average to ranked.
This is Ohio's highest ranking to date, being named one spot ahead of last season's No. 25.
Preceding the Bobcat's 2004's mark, 1988 was the last time a MAC volleyball team broke into the rankings.
We have a love/hate relationship with the poll coach Geoff Carlston said. We are probably the only program in the history of the poll to be receiving votes (putting us) in the 26-35 range for three years and last year we finally popped in at No. 25
and now we're in again.
This means a lot in terms of publicity for the university and for the team
he said. It's good in all those respects but it doesn't really impact us much. It's sort of fickle
it doesn't take much to get out
but we can enjoy it now.
Still riding the country's longest home winning streak of 32 games, the Bobcats are second in the NCAA in both assists and kills with 16.41 and 17.53 per match, respectively. They are also ninth in hitting percentage with a .289 average.
Ohio currently leads the MAC in all of those categories, and is the only undefeated squad in the conference.
Parra's prowess
With 14.31 assists per game, setter Savanah Parra leads the MAC and is fourth in the country in assists, providing consistency that is crucial to Ohio's offensive success.
The Bobcats have out-killed their opponents 894 to 639 so far this season, a fact that Parra contributes to the team's diligence in working together.
I've been working a lot one-on-one with different hitters
she said. Making sure our timing's right so now midway all that hard work that everyone has been putting in on both sides has been paying off.
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