Nov. 5, 2005
Box Score | Photo Gallery
ATHENS, Ohio - The 20th-ranked Ohio volleyball concluded its home schedule in style, sweeping Central Michigan 3-0 (30-15, 30-15, 30-21) in front of a record crowd of 1,096 to clinch a third straight Mid-American Conference regular season title.
The Bobcats, 24-2 overall and 14-0 in the MAC, extended their home winning streak to 37 and its winning streak over MAC opponents to 38 with the victory. Eastern Michigan can tie Ohio for the best record in the conference if it wins out and Ohio loses its final two matches but the Bobcats own the tiebreaker after sweeping the Eagles earlier this year.
Stephanie Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich.) led the squad with 12 kills each. Blackburn and Griffin were both efficient with their swings with Blackburn connecting at a .429 clip and Griffin at .526.
Jill DeArmond (Ft. Wayne, Ind.) led the Bobcats with 21 assists, marking the first time Savanah Parra (Temecula, Calif.) has not led the team in assists this year. Parra started the match and dished out 15 assists in the first game but sat out the final two frames. DeArmond matched her career-high with four kills and set a new career mark with four aces in only two games.
The Bobcats dropped in a season-high 12 aces versus the Chippewas, marking the first time since Oct. 9, 2004 Ohio has recorded at least 10 aces. DeArmond led with four aces with Jenna Gaughran (Centerville, Ohio) adding three and Stephanie Blackburn two.
"I thought we served well," Head Coach Geoff Carlston said. "We had some good jump serves and were hitting our zones for the most part and that made a big difference."
Michaele Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the back row with 17 digs while Stephanie Blackburn added 12 digs for her team-high 10th double-double. Griffin led the defense at the net with four blocks with Julia Winkfield (Newark, Ohio) and Amanda Andersen (Lino Lakes, Minn.) adding three each.
Ohio hit .389 for the match, its third highest percentage of the season, while holding Central Michigan to a .068 hitting percentage. The Bobcats have now outhit their last 16 foes.
The attendance passed the previous high of 1,052 to become the biggest crowd to ever turn out for an Ohio volleyball match.
"We had an awesome crowd tonight," Carlston said. "It was a great crowd and it was a great way to end the regular season. To have that many people in the crowd made for a great day all around."
The Bobcats controlled the match from the opening serve against the winless Chippewas. Ohio raced out to a 10-4 lead in the first game but Central Michigan was able to hand around until the latter portion of the frame. The Bobcats closed out the first game with a 11-1 run behind nine consecutive Michaele Blackburn serves.
Ohio continued to overpower Central Michigan in the second frame, taking a 15-5 lead. The Bobcats kept adding to the lead, going up 29-10 before the Chippewas ran off five straight points. An Allie Meczka (Strongsville, Ohio) gave Ohio a 30-15 game two win.
The Bobcats again got off to a quick start, gaining an 11-4 edge in the third frame. Ohio would not let Central Michigan get any closer than four points the rest of the way out, taking the final game 30-21.
Carlston was able to get all 15 players some playing time in the same match for the first time this year.
"We were kind of torn between focusing on doing some offensive or defensive things versus getting some playing time," Carlston said. "We have some good players on the bench. I thought it was the right move to get them in there. They work hard and deserve to get out on the court."
Ohio will be on the road next weekend to conclude the MAC regular season. The Bobcats play at Miami Friday at 7 p.m. and at Bowling Green Saturday at 7 p.m.
