Oct. 6, 2007
Box Score
YPSILANTI, Mich. - The No. 21 Ohio volleyball team had four players register double-digit kills en route to a 3-0 (30-25, 33-31, 30-24) victory over Eastern Michigan at Rose Arena Saturday evening. With the win, the Bobcats improve to 13-4 overall and remain tied with Miami atop the Mid-American Conference East Division standings with a 5-1 conference record. Eastern Michigan's overall record falls to 13-8 and its conference mark goes to 3-3 with the loss.
Ohio senior middle blocker Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich.) had a match-high 16 kills on a .393 hitting percentage to lead the Bobcats, but it was a total team effort that fueled the win. Sophomore outside hitter Ellen Herman (Toledo, Ohio) and senior outside hitter Stephanie Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) joined Griffin in double-digit kills with 13 apiece, as did sophomore middle blocker Jane Sytsma (Madison, Wis.) with 10 kills (.381). Sophomore middle blocker Meghan Simons (Lancaster, Ohio) nearly reached double-digits, turning in eight kills on a .333 hitting percentage.
Blackburn added a match-high 14 digs to her kill total, to post her seventh straight double-double and 11th of the season.
Bobcat freshman setter Michelle Jantsch (Mission Hills, Kansas) had a team-high 33 assists and eight digs, while senior libero Janice Matacic (Liberty Township, Ohio) continued her quality play with 12 digs in the victory.
For the match, Ohio out-hit Eastern Michigan .264 to .182 and landed 63 kills to the Eagles' 48.
In the first game Ohio had to come from behind to earn the 30-25 victory. The Bobcats fell behind 12-7 and then fought back to tie the game at 18-18. After exchanging points, Ohio went on to finally take the lead for good at 23-22 and gain a 1-0 lead.
The Bobcats scored the first five points of game two, but Eastern Michigan came back with a late rally and nearly won the game. Ohio had game-point with a 29-25 lead when Eastern Michigan ran off five straight to take a 30-29 lead. Simons ended the spurt with a kill, knotting the game at 30-30. The Eagles regained the lead with a kill by Jennifer Swartz, but Ohio answered right back with kills from Sytsma and Blackburn to move ahead 32-31. Jantsch supplied the final point of the game, landing a clutch service ace to give Ohio a 2-0 lead.
The third game began with Eastern Michigan scoring the first four points. Ohio responded with a 5-0 run, momentarily regaining the lead. The teams then went point for point, with neither gaining more than a two point advantage until Ohio made another 5-0 run. With the game tied at 17-17, Ohio won five consecutive points and nine of the next 11 to take a 26-19 lead. The Bobcats went on to win the game pulling away 30-24.
Ohio returns home for its next match against Ball State on Friday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m.
