Nov. 19, 2010
Final Stats
Postgame Interview with Head Coach Ryan Theis
TOLEDO, Ohio - Ohio Volleyball advanced to the MAC Semifinals for the ninth-straight season with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-8) over Buffalo on Friday night. The No. 2-seeded 'Cats will now play Miami tomorrow evening at 7 p.m at Toledo's SeaGate Center.
The Bobcats blocked 16 attempts and have now blocked 33 attempts over the last two matches. The Green & White boast the No. 6 blocking attack in the nation, averaging 2.96 denials per set. That number has been helped by the play of junior Katie Post, 10th in the nation with 1.39 blocks per set, and freshman Lexie Hartnett, second in the MAC with 1.07 blocks per set. Post had four tonight while Hartnett set a career-high with 10.
In the first set, kills by Sue Jacobi and Post and a block from Michelle Jantsch opened things up for the Bobcats as they took an 11-6 lead. Ahead 13-9, another run pushed the lead to eight at 17-9. Buffalo scored seven of the next nine points and cut the lead to 19-16 but Ohio was never threatened and won the first set 25-20.
Jacobi and Post had their best sets of the match with five and four kills apiece while Ohio blocked eight attempts as a team, receiving six block assists from Hartnett in the first set.
Ohio leapt out to a 6-1 lead in the second set before Buffalo scored six of the next nine point to cut the Bobcat lead to 9-7. Still leading by two, back-to-back kills by Mandy Nichols and Jacobi pushed the lead to 18-14 before Buffalo used a timeout. The Bulls answered with four-consecutive points to even thing 18-18 and the set remained tied when it reached 20-20.
Kills by Post and Jacobi nudged the Bobcats in front 23-21. An ace by Jantsch was followed by a kill from Post to ice the set, 25-22, and hand Ohio a two-set lead heading into the break. Jacobi, Nichols and Post added three kills apiece in the set.
The third set turned out to be a formality as Ohio pounced on Buffalo 8-3 out of the gate and took a 18-8 lead on a service ace by Kelly Colyar. Despite a timeout from the Bulls to try and quell the Bobcat onslaught, Ohio scored the final 10 points of the match, winning the third set 25-8.
The Bobcats hit a match-high .364 in the final set as Ohio advanced to play Miami tomorrow night. The teams split their regular-season meetings with Ohio winning in The Convo just eight days ago.
Meryl Bender had five assists which moved her into seventh all-time during the rally-scoring era.
