Sept. 5, 2010
Final Stats
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University volleyball team won their second match of the day when they toppled Texas A&M in four sets, 29-27, 25-18, 15-25, 26-24. Sue Jacobi and Katie Post both recorded double-digit kills with 17 and 10 apiece.
"I'm thrilled with the way team our team battled and fought tonight," Head Coach Ryan Theis said. "I think we were able to get pressure on them and force them into a lot of mistakes. Also I think our blocks really set the tone in this match."
The Bobcats kept the Aggies under .150 attacking for three of the four matches, which turned out to be key as Texas A&M racked up eight more kills than Ohio. The Green & White also managed to out-block their opponents on the evening, 11-7.
Jacobi, a senior from Louisville, Ky., also finished the match with a team-high two service aces and seven digs while Post had three total blocks and 11.5 points. Lexie Hartnett was a third Bobcat to score 10 points or more with eight kills and four total blocks.
Michelle Jantsch had another solid game distributing the ball finishing with a team-high 27 assists while also accumulating 12 digs and three kills. Meryl Bender led the team in digs with 19 and also chipped in with four assists. Faith Robins led the team in blocking with a total of six while also notching six kills.
"Katie Post had a gutsy performance for us tonight with 10 kills and her .333 performance," Theis added. "At times different players stepped up and made big plays for us tonight. Faith in the first set, Lexie in the fourth set, they stepped up and played hard. It was really a fun match to be a part of."
Ohio led for most of the opening set before the Aggies reeled off four points to take their first lead, 20-19. An A&M service error and consecutive kills by Jacobi and Hartnett put the Bobcats back on top 23-22, Ohio got a block and was serving for the set but couldn't close it out. After falling behind 25-24, the Bobcats fought off three set points and took the lead at 28-27 as an A&M attack sailed wide. A&M then hit into the net on the ensuing play to end the set.
A&M held an 8-7 lead in the second set when Ohio went on a 7-1 run which culminated in kills by Jacobi and Jantsch. However, A&M caught up at 16-16, the Bobcats got three kills (two from Robins, one from Jacobi) and an ace from Jacobi during a four-point run that put Ohio up, 20-16. Three Aggie errors pushed the Ohio lead up to 23-17. Then it was Robins and Post earning kills on consecutive plays to end the set and push the Bobcats margin to 2-0 heading into the break.
Ohio scored the first point of the third set, but three consecutive kills by Preseason All-Big 12 selection Kelsey Black gave A&M a lead. The Bobcats tied the score twice, the last at 4-4, but they were unable to regain the lead. A&M was ahead, 14-12 when the Aggies got two blocks and a kill to go up 17-12. Ohio got a kill, but A&M rallied again, scoring four straight points to build a 21-13 lead. Ohio posted a kill, but Black came back with two of her 11 kills in the set and put A&M ahead, 24-14.
Ohio opened the fourth set with four consecutive points, capped by a kill from Hartnett, but A&M came right back and took the lead after scoring five unanswered points. There were three more lead changes in the set, the last coming at 10-9 as the Bobcats posted a go-ahead kill during a four-point run. Ohio equaled its biggest lead at 17-12 but A&M chipped eventually tied the score at 20-20. A Mandy Nichols kill and an A&M error put Ohio up, 22-20. The teams traded points and Ohio was serving for the match at 24-22. A&M staved off two match points and tied the score at 24, but Ohio got a kill and an ace from Jacobi to clinch the win.
"We just hope to continue to get better in these types of matches and close situations," Theis said.
The Bobcats will play their final game tomorrow against host Missouri State at 4 p.m. Missouri State will provide live stats and a link to that match can be found by clicking here.
