Ohio Runs the Table in MAC
Bobcats finish league play 16-0 with victory over Marshall
Contact: Jason Cunningham
11/13/2004
 Senior Briana Adamovsky was honored prior to the match for breaking Ohio's all-time assists record. |
ATHENS, Ohio ? The Ohio volleyball squad became the first Mid-American Conference team in 10 years to finish the league schedule undefeated, dropping Marshall in three games, 30-18, 30-22, 30-22.
The Bobcats (24-2, 16-0) head into the MAC Tournament on an 18-match winning streak and have not lost a single game since Sept. 25, a string of 43-consecutive triumphs. Ohio became the first team to sweep through the league schedule since Ball State went 17-0 in 1994.
"I can't say enough about how proud I am of this team," said Bobcat Head Coach Geoff Carlston. "We are all fortunate to have been part of a special season to this point, but we still have some things we want to accomplish."
Julia Winkfield (Newark, Ohio/Newark) led the Bobcat attack for the second night in a row, pacing Ohio with 15 kills while hitting at a .545 clip. Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) and Ashley Elliott (Orangeville, Ontario/Orangeville) also broke double digits, recording 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
The Bobcats jumped on Marshall (20-10, 11-5) early on and gained a 13-1 advantage on four kills by Griffin and led by as many as 15 in the first game at 25-10. The Herd was able to cut the lead back to 10 at 27-17 but it was too little, too late as Ohio took the game 30-18.
Competition was tight to start the second game as Ohio held a slim advantage at 12-11. The Bobcats then went on a 10-4 run to gain some distance at 22-15. That advantage would be all the Bobcats would need as two kills by Elliott helped finish off Marshall, 30-22.
The Thundering Herd gave Ohio all it could handle in the first half of the third game, leading as late as 12-11. The Bobcats then took command of the game with an 11-3 run that included four kills by Griffin and three by Winkfield to take a 23-16 lead. Elliott closed out the match and the conference season with three kills as the Bobcats won 30-22.
Briana Adamovsky (Solon, Ohio/Solon) recorded 50 assists in what could be the last home contest of her decorated career. Tonight?s performance marked the eight time this season she has finish with 50 or more helpers, six of which came in only three games.
Michaele Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) led the Bobcat defense with 15 digs as Ohio recorded a 45-22 advantage in the category.
For the match, Ohio out-hit Marshall .402 to .143 and recorded 26 more kills than The Herd. The match also marked the fifth time this year that Ohio has hit over .400.
Prior to the game the Bobcats honored the four seniors of the Class of 2005. Adamovsky, Elliott, Erin Fiene (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central), and Katie Smith (Downers Grove, Ill./South) were recognized for their contributions to the program the last four years. Fiene finish the match with nine digs while Smith recorded three.
The Bobcats now await their next opponent, which will be determined this coming Tuesday night when the first round of the MAC Tournament gets underway at campus sites. The Bobcats, who clinched the top seed in the tourney by winning the MAC regular season championship, have a first round bye. The quarterfinal round will begin Friday, Nov. 19, in Bowling Green. The Bobcats are slated to play at 7:30 p.m., against the winner of the first round match-up of number eight and nine seeds.
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