Sept. 18, 2008
ATHENS, Ohio -
Junior middle blocker Meghan Simons posted a match-high 11 kills and the Ohio University volleyball team used 14.0 total blocks to earn a sweep (25-13, 25-15, 25-22) of 14th-ranked Middle Tennessee State in its home opener on Thursday night.
With the victory, the Bobcats (7-3) extended their winning streak in home openers to seven in a row.
"We came out and established the tempo tonight, we didn't let them get into a rhythm offensively and that was one of the keys to the match," Ohio head coach Ryan Theis said. "It's fun to be home, and we love our home crowd. I didn't fully understand the energy in here until our team started warming up and it just took off. We played well in all areas of the game tonight, and every time we serve, pass and block effectively, we're going to do well."
Simons (Lancaster, Ohio) paced the offense with 11 kills on a .529 hitting percentage, committing just two errors on 17 swings. The total was just one kill shy of the season high she established against Syracuse in Ohio's last outing, and marked her third double-figure effort of the season.
Junior outside hitter Ellen Herman (Toledo, Ohio) had eight kills on the night, while sophomore outside hitter Sue Jacobi (Louisville, Ky.) and junior middle blocker Jane Sytsma (Madison, Wis.) chipped in with five and three, respectively.
A half dozen Bobcats recorded at least one block in the victory as Ohio exploded for a season-high 14.0 in just three sets against the Blue Raiders, limiting MTSU to a -.044 hitting percentage on the night. Sytsma led the way with five total rejections, and Jacobi matched her career high with three block solos on the way to a four-block night. Herman also had four total blocks on the evening, while Simons and freshman opposite hitter Katie Post (Streamwood, Ill.) each recorded three.
"I think (assistant coach) Kyle Weindel did a great job with the scouting report," Theis said. "He was signaling what we needed to be doing on the block, and we were right on them. Blocking was certainly a huge factor in this win."
Freshman defensive specialist Nicole Staverman (Edgewood, Ky.) led all participants eight digs to lead the team for the second time this season. Junior libero Sarah Petrulis (Westlake, Ohio), who also fired a career-high four aces, picked up six digs, and both Herman and sophomore defensive specialist Meryl Bender (Yorktown, Ind.) checked in with four apiece.
Ohio leapt out to a fast start in the first set, chalking up blocks on the first two rallies and forcing the Blue Raiders into a timeout with Staverman in the midst of a 3-0 service run. The Green & White extended its lead to double digits, 17-7, on an MTSU attack error, and used two kills by Simons and one by Herman down the stretch to seal the opening-set victory by a 25-13 count.
The Blue Raiders opened the second set with a kill to take a 1-0 lead before Ohio ripped off 25 of the next 39 points to take a 25-15 victory. Simons and Herman each had four kills in the set, while the latter teamed with Jacobi and Sytsma to post three total blocks apiece and hold Middle Tennessee State to a -.167 hitting clip in the frame.
The third stanza was the most tightly contested of the night, as Ohio stared down a 12-10 deficit midway through the set before roaring back with an 8-3 run to grab an 18-15 advantage. The Bobcats' lead wouldn't fall to less than two for the remainder of the match Simons fittingly capped the victory with her final two kills of the night in the final moments.
The Bobcats will continue their homestand on Friday night when they host Tulane at 7 p.m. ET at The Convo. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. ET and fans may purchase tickets for $5 at the Ohio Ticket Office. Live stats will be available via www.ohiobobcats.com.
