Scores: Ohio 3, Western Michigan 1 (25-16, 25-20, 21-25, 25-14)

Location: Athens, Ohio (Convocation Center)

Records: Ohio 16-4 (9-0 MAC), Western Michigan 15-9 (6-3 MAC)

 

THE BASICS

• The Ohio volleyball team (16-4, 9-0 MAC) remained undefeated in Mid-American Conference play after dispatching Western Michigan (15-9, 6-3 MAC), 3-1 (25-16, 25-20, 21-25, 25-14), on Friday (Oct.  24) at the Convocation Center. 

• The Bobcats rattled off their 10th straight win and have won 15 of their last 16 matches. Ohio starts MAC play with a 9-0 mark for the first time since 2009.

• Ohio tallied a .302 attack percentage while holding the Broncos to a .142 clip. The 'Cats also won the battle above the net, 11.0-6.0.

• Senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberi (Cary, Ill.) matched her career high with 24 kills to lead the match, reaching double figures for the 18th time in the last 20 matches and surpassing the 20-kill mark for the fifth time in 2014. The 2014 Preseason All-MAC East Division selection achieved her fourth double-double in the last five matches, 10th of the season and 59th of her career, tallying 17 digs. Lamberti posted a match-best .478 attack percentage, committing just two hitting errors in 46 attempts. She also recorded a match-high three service aces to go along with four assisted blocks and an assist. 

• Junior middle blocker Karin Bull (Bloomington, Minn.) totaled double-digit kills for the second time in the last three matches, piling up 12 while recording just three attack errors in 23 attempts for a .391 hitting percentage. She also racked up a match-high 7.0 total blocks (two solo, five assisted). The 2014 Preseason All-MAC East Division pick has posted 5.0 or more total blocks on eight occasions this season.

• Junior setter Abby Gilleland (Bull Valley, Ill.) handed out a match-high 52 assists, marking the second time this season she has surpassed the 50-assist mark. The 2014 Preseason All-MAC East Division pick has piled up 40-more assists eight times this season. She also compiled four kills, two service aces and nine digs. 

• Freshman outside hitter Jaime Kosiorek (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) totaled 11 kills, reaching double digits for the 10th time this season. She also added 3.0 total blocks (one solo, two assisted). 

• Senior middle block/outside hitter Hannah Burkle (Crystal Lake, Ill.) added nine kills and 2.0 total blocks (one solo, one assisted) to Ohio's cause. She also recorded a dig. 

• Junior libero Meredith Ashy (Louisville, Ky.) posted a team-high 20 digs to go along with two service aces and three assists. She has notched 20 or more digs on nine occasions in 2014. 

• Sophomore setter/defensive specialist Brooke Coleman (Plano, Texas) added 12 digs, marking the third straight match she has posted double-digit digs, fourth time in the last five matches and 10th time in 2014.

• Redshirt senior outside hitter Ali Gossen led Western Michigan with 13 kills and hit at a team-best .333 clip with just two attack errors in 33 attempts. Sophomore outside hitter Alysia Baznik added 10 kills, eight digs and an assist. Freshman setter/defensive specialst Sydney Cheatham recorded a team-high 4.0 total blocks (two solo, two assisted). Senior setter Lexie Pawlik distributed a team-high 34 assists. Freshman outside hitter Sierra Hubbard-Neil accumulated a match-high 29 digs while junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Caroline Rose added 10 more. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Ohio's attack was firing on all cylinders in the opening set as the Bobcats hit at a .457 clip while holding the Broncos to a .138 attack percentage. The 'Cats overcame a 4-3 deficit with a 16-3 run to take a commanding 19-7 lead. The stretch was highlighted by three kills apiece by Lamberti and Bull, two kills by Kosiorek, two kills and a service ace by Gilleland and a double block by Bull and Lamberti. Western Michigan countered with a 9-5 run to cut Ohio's lead down to eight, but another kill by Bull gave the Bobcats the 1-0 match lead. 

• The Bobcats jumped out to an early 7-3 lead in the second set courtesy of a double block by Kosiorek and Walker, a solo block by Kosiorek and two kills by Burkle. Western Michigan cut Ohio's lead down to three five times, but the Bobcats secured the 2-0 lead in the match by closing the set out on a 10-8 run, thanks in large part to six kills by Lamberti.

• The Broncos retaliated with a four-point victory in the third set after rolling to early 7-2 lead. Western Michigan contained Ohio to a .048 hitting percentage to cut the Bobcats' match lead to 2-1.

• Ohio erased any doubt in the fourth set by leaping ahead to a 17-7 lead and winning the stanza by nine points to capture the match. The Bobcats attacked at a .407 clip while stymieing the Broncos to a .033 pace.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Ohio has posted 10-match winning streaks in each of the past three seasons.

QUOTABLE 

"I just want to win. Everyone wants to win on our team extremely bad, especially this weekend, because it's a huge weekend for us." - Senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberi

WHAT'S NEXT

Control of the race to win the MAC regular season crown will be at stake on Saturday (Oct. 25) at the Convo as Ohio plays host to West Division frontrunner Northern Illinois (16-7, 9-0 MAC). The match is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes to the match.

The Huskies also maintained their perfect start to league play on Friday after defeating Kent State, 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 29-31, 25-19) at the M.A.C. Center. Senior outside hitter Mackenzie Roddy piled up a team-high 22 kills to go along with three assisted blocks and seven digs. Sophomore middle blocker Jenna Radtke offered up 14 kills and a match-high 5.0 total blocks (one solo, four assisted) in addition to a service ace and three digs. Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Lauren Zielinski added 12 kills and hit at a team-best .478 clip with just one error in 23 attacks. She also posted two assisted blocks and two digs. Junior setter Alexis Gonzalez handed out a match-high 48 assists to go along with three kills, a match-high two service aces, three assisted blocks and nine digs. Freshman defensive specialist/libero Anna Brereton led the match on the defensive end with 24 digs.&

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