Oct. 29, 2005
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ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio volleyball team made Senior Night a good one for Julia Winkfield (Newark, Ohio) and Holly Schetzsle (Pataskala, Ohio), rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 (30-28, 27-30, 29-31, 30-21, 15-10) over Miami.
The five-game match marks the first time since Nov. 26, 2002 the Convocation Center hosted a five-game contest. Ohio defeated Kent State 3-2 in the opening round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament that night. The match also marks the first time an Ohio match has gone the distance.
The Bobcats notched their 36th-consecutive win at the Convocation Center and stretched their winning streak over MAC opponents to 36 in the win. Ohio improves to 22-2 overall and 12-0 in the MAC while the RedHawks fall to 15-8 overall and 8-4 in the MAC.
Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich.) and Savanah Parra (Temecula, Calif.) each had career nights for the Bobcats. Griffin recorded career-highs of 21 kills and eight blocks to lead the Bobcats in each category. Parra set a school-record with 77 assists and added a career-high 16 digs.
Stephanie Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) added 20 kills, her second highest total of the season, with Schetzsle adding 15 kills and Winkfield 14.
Michaele Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) played a solid back row with a season-best 28 digs and successfully received 45 of 46 services sent her way. Stephanie Blackburn added 13 digs and Molly Mangan (Claire, Ill.) 11. Winkfield, Stephanie Blackburn and Amanda Andersen (Lino Lakes, Minn.) each had four total blocks.
The Bobcats jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the early moments of the match but the RedHawks countered with a 4-0 run to grab a 5-4 lead. Miami gradually pushed its lead up to a game-high four at 14-10 before Ohio came back to even the match at 16. The teams exchanged 3-0 runs with the RedHawks going up 20-17, Ohio tying the score at 20 and Miami replying to gain a 23-20 edge.
The Bobcats slowly chipped away to tie the game at 26. After ties at 27 and 28, Winkfield put away kills on consecutive points to take the first frame 30-28.
After dropping the closely contested second and third frames, Ohio bounced back with its best defensive game in the fourth frame. The two teams exchanged points in the early stages with an Andersen kill tying the game at seven. After a Miami kill, the Bobcats ran off three straight to grab a 10-8 lead.
Ohio held a 20-17 advantage before running off seven straight points behind the serving of Jenna Gaughran (Centerville, Ohio) to take a 27-17 lead. The Bobcats finished off the game 30-21, holding the RedHawks to a .093 hitting percentage for the game.
The Bobcats showed no signs of nervousness in their first fifth game of the year. Ohio and Miami went back and forth with the RedHawks taking an 8-7 lead before the teams switched sides. The new side saw the Bobcats run off five consecutive points to take a 12-8 advantage they would not relinquish. Kills from Griffin and Stephanie Blackburn on the match's final two points gave Ohio a 15-10 game five win.
Ohio will be back on the road Thursday with a match at Kent State before returning home for the season's final home match against Central Michigan Saturday at 7 p.m.
