BOWLING GREEN, Ohio ? The Ohio volleyball team has secured a place in the Mid-American Conference title game for the second year in a row with a 30-21, 30-28, 28-30, 25-30, 16-14 victory over Western Michigan in the semifinal round of the league?s tournament.

Holly Schetzsle (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) paced the Bobcat effort for the second night in a row with a season-high 22 kills. Stephanie Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) contributed a career-high 20 kills and added 12 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Briana Adamovsky (Solon, Ohio/Solon) tallied a season-high 64 assists, one shy of her career high.

The Bobcats (26-2) jumped out to an early 4-1 advantage in the first game powered by two kills from Schetzsle. The junior hitter had racked up four kills on five attacks as the Bobcats held a 15-10 lead at the first media timeout. Ohio grabbed its first double-digit lead at 25-15 on a block by Ashley Elliott (Orangeville, Ontario/Orangeville) and Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich./Whitehall) and closed out the first frame 30-21. The Bobcats got seven kills from Schetzsle, who hit for a .778 mark.

The Broncos (19-11) were the first club out of the gate in the second game, taking a 3-0 lead before Ohio answered with five-straight points behind two aces and a kill from Blackburn to make it 5-3. The two teams traded a series of points before momentum swung in Western Michigan?s favor as they forced an Ohio timeout with a 14-10 lead. The Bobcats fell down by six at 20-14 following and attack error and were unable to gain any substantial ground until they put together a 9-5 run to draw within two at 25-23. An ace by Blackburn made it a one-point game at 26-25 and two kills by Schetzsle evened things out at 27-27. Another kill by Schetzle put the Bobcats in position to close out the game at 29-28 and an Ohio block of WMU?s attack secured the game for the Bobcats, 30-28.

Western Michigan took an early three-point advantage over the Bobcats in the third game at 7-4 and maintained a slim lead until Ohio drew even at 13-13 following a Bronco error. A kill by Julia Winkfield (Newark, Ohio/Newark) on the next play gave the Bobcats their first lead since the opening point. The Bobcats took leads of 18-15 and 25-23 before a run by WMU put the Broncos ahead 27-25. Two key kills by Adamovsky knotted the action at 27-27 and a kill by Winkfield gave the Bobcats a one-point edge. Two quick answers by WMU had Ohio on the ropes and the Broncos block of a Winkfield attack clinched a 30-28 victory. The loss broke Ohio?s 48-game winning streak, which the Bobcats had been carrying since their Sept. 25 match against Miami.

Playing in a fourth game for the first time in 15 matches, the Bobcats were down 4-1 early before a kill by Winkfield tied it up at 8-8. Ohio took its first lead of the frame on the next play. After the two teams traded points, the Bobcats opened up an 18-14 lead. The Broncos promptly cut the lead to one with two Ohio attack errors, but with Blackburn serving, the Bobcats reeled off three-straight to gain some breathing room at 21-17. Western Michigan stormed back take at 25-22 advantage and three Ohio attack errors gave the Broncos all the momentum they would need to polish off game four, 30-25. With defense a key factor on both sides, the two teams combined for 11 blocks and 20 attack errors.

In the final game, the first for Ohio this year, Western Michigan took a 4-0 lead. Two kills by Schetzsle drew the Bobcats even at 5-5 and swings by Blackburn and Winkfield pushed Ohio out to a 7-5 advantage. Three-straight by the Broncos regained the lead as the teams switched sides at 8-7. All tied up at 11-11, Elliott hammered out two key kills sandwiched around a block by Schetzsle. With Michaele Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) serving for match point, Griffin blocked Bronco Ashley Schatzle?s attack to keep Ohio?s title hopes alive by the final of 16-14.

?We really tried to get them out of their (Western Michigan) system, but after the first game we just couldn?t,? said Bobcat Head Coach Geoff Carlston. ?They do some things that we really have a problem defending.?

Through the first two matches of the tournament, Schetzsle has 34 kills and has been the most consistent of the Ohio hitters.

?We really challenged Holly coming into this tournament and she has really stepped up,? said Carlston. ?She is a warrior and a great role model for our young hitters (Blackburn and Griffin.?

The Bobcats have now won 20 matches in a row this season and have recorded 23-straight victories over conference opponents.

Michaele Blackburn and Erin Fiene (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) led five Bobcats in double figure digs with 14 apiece in helping Ohio record a 71-59 edge in the category.

Schatzle and Abby Gebhart each tallied 20 kills to pace Western Michigan, who took Ohio to five games in the quarterfinal round of last year?s MAC Tourney.

?This has been a match in the making for a year now,? said Carlston in reference to last year?s contest. ?We knew coming in that it would be a battle.?

For the second year in a row, the Bobcats will face Marshall in the MAC Championship. The Thundering Herd (22-10) qualified for the finale via a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Ball State in the first semifinal. Ohio captured a three-game sweep of Marshall in the 2003 title clash. Match time is set for 2 p.m., with the winner gaining the conference?s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The contest will be televised live on Fox Sports Net Ohio.