Nov. 20, 2010
Final Stats
Postgame Interview with Head Coach Ryan Theis
TOLEDO, Ohio - Ohio advanced to its eighth-straight MAC Championship game with a resounding 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-22) defeat of rivals Miami this evening at Toledo's SeaGate Center. The Bobcats improved to 10-2 in three-set matches this season and have won 15 of their last 16 games, a span of five matches.
Katie Post, despite having an off night by her own lofty standards, broke the rally-scoring single-season records for block assists and total blocks. She has been a big reason that Ohio was able to break the team records in both categories tonight, held since 2002.
Ohio has recorded 12 team blocks or more in eight of the last nine matches and have 49 team blocks during the last three matches alone. The Green & White held Miami to a .000 hitting percentage during the first two sets and .040 for the match.
In the first set, Ohio led 10-9 and got a kill from Mandy Nichols followed by two Miami errors to gain some breathing room at 13-9. The RedHawks tied things at 16-16 before a service error gave the advantage back to Ohio. After that, Nichols had two kills and Post added another for another quick three-point run and a 21-17 lead. Three attack errors by Miami helped Ohio earn the final four points of the set and a 1-0 lead.
The second set was 6-5 in favor of the Bobcats before the team scored six of the next eight points for a 12-7 edge. The lead increased to seven before Miami scored three points in a row and forced a timeout at 17-13.
The run continued for the RedHawks and they had the lead down to one at 17-16 but Ohio scored three of the next four to regain a three-point lead at 20-17. Consecutive attack errors by Miami helped give five of the final seven points to Ohio and the Bobcats took a two-set lead with a 25-19 win.
Ohio trailed in the third set 11-9 after three-consecutive attack errors but scored five of the next six points to gain a 14-12 lead. After some back-and-forth play, the Bobcats took their largest lead of the set at 22-17. Miami cut the score to 22-20 and still trailed 24-22 when Lexie Hartnett and Sue Jacobi blocked a final RedHawk to win the match in three sets.
Jacobi registered her 16th double-double of the season with 12 kills and a match-best 13 digs. She also added four blocks, while Post topped the team with nine, Hartnett added six and Michelle Jantsch had five.
Nichols had seven kills and no attack errors which allowed her to hit .368 for the evening. Hartnett and Post combined for 11 kills and 21.5 points. Kelly Colyar and Meryl Bender each added 12 digs apiece on a solid night for the Bobcat backline.
The MAC Championship is scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow as Ohio takes on Northern Illinois. The Bobcats lost the regular-season meeting in The Convo, 3-1.
