Nov. 7, 2009

Final Stats

ATHENS, Ohio-The Ohio volleyball team got a strong effort from its senior class Saturday in the 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-7) Senior Night win over Akron. The seven points allowed in the third set is the fewest allowed in at least the last six seasons.

The Bobcats improved to 21-5 overall and 13-1 in the Mid-American Conference and Akron dropped to 13-16 and 4-10 in the league. With Western Michigan’s (19-10 overall, 11-3 MAC) 3-2 loss at Miami (16-10 overall, 11-3 MAC) Saturday, the Bobcats clinched at least a share of the MAC’s regular season title.

“We clinched a share of the conference championship tonight, which was terrific,” said head coach Ryan Theis. “What a great crowd we had tonight. It was a fun atmosphere and I’m glad we got the win.”

Ohio senior Ellen Herman paced the offense with 12 kills and a .440 hitting percentage, while classmate Meghan Simons also had 10 kills and four total blocks (0s, 4a). Senior Sarah Petrulis had a match-high 12 digs to move within 46 digs of 1,000 career digs during her Bobcat career.

Junior Sue Jacobi added 10 digs and an eye-popping .625 hitting percentage to go with freshman Faith Robins’ five total blocks (0s, 5a). Junior setter Michelle Jantsch had 37 assists.

The Ohio offense yielded just one block to the Zips and held the visitors to a .000 hitting percentage. The Zips posted a -.037 percentage in the second set and a -.190 clip in the third set. Ohio hit .412 for the match, including an astronomical .652 in the third set.

Akron’s Courtney Jarvis had a team-high seven kills, while Chelsea Harvey had 10 digs.

With score knotted at 10 apiece in the first set, Ohio ran off four straight points to get the separation it needed on kills by Herman and Jacobi and a block by Simons and Robins. Jacobi also registered the kill on the final point of the set.

The 10-10 mark was also the deciding point of the second set. The Bobcats ripped off six of the next seven points on two Simons kills and a few Akron miscues to take a 16-11 lead. Ohio posted a pair of blocks on the final two points of the set, courtesy of Herman and sophomore Katie Post.

The Bobcats jumped Akron at the start of the third set, racing to an 11-1 lead on three kills apiece by Simons and Robins. Junior Mandy Nichols finished the match with a kill from a set by Jacobi.

Herman, Petrulis and Simons were honored along with classmate Jane Sytsma in a post-match ceremony. Sytsma, a two-time All-MAC honoree who stands among Ohio’s leaders in career blocks, had her season ended prematurely due to injury.

“Our seniors are great,” said Theis. “They are great people; they are great academically; they have a great work ethic; they are great leaders and they are great with their teammates.”

Ohio will hit the road for the final two matches of its pre-MAC Tournament slate when it faces Miami at 7 p.m.  and Bowling Green Saturday at 6 p.m.