Scores: Ohio 3, Akron 0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-21)

Location: Buffalo, N.Y. (Alumni Arena)

Records: Ohio 21-4 (14-0 MAC), Buffalo 14-14 (4-10 MAC)

 

THE BASICS

• The Ohio volleyball team (21-4, 14-0 MAC) swept its way to its 15th straight win and kept its perfect Mid-American Conference record intact with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-21) victory over East Division rival Buffalo (14-14, 4-10 MAC) on Saturday (Nov. 8) at Alumni Arena. 

• The Bobcats have won 20 of their last 21 matches and have opened league play with 14 straight wins for the first time since going a perfect 16-0 in 2006.

• Senior middle blocker/outside hitter Hannah Burkle (Crystal Lake, Ill.) achieved a career high with a match-high 12 kills and tied junior middle blocker/outside hitter Shelby Walker (Bradenton, Fla.) for the match lead with four assisted blocks.

• Senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberti (Cary, Ill.) recorded her eighth double-double in the last 10 matches, posting 10 kills to go along with two service aces in addition to an assisted block and 10 digs. The 2014 Preseason All-MAC East Division pick has reached double-digit kills in 23 of 25 matches in 2014 -- including 10 straight.

• Junior setter Abby Gilleland (Bull Valley, Ill.) handed out a match-high 39 assists to go along a kill, two service aces, two assisted blocks and seven digs. 

• Freshman outside hitter Jaime Kosiorek (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) tallied eight kills and two service aces.

• Junior middle blocker Karin Bull (Bloomington, Minn.) posted five kills and three assisted blocks. 

• Junior libero Meredith Ashy (Louisville, Ky.) tied for the match lead with 16 digs.

• Junior middle blocker Akeila Lain led the Bulls with 10 kills and three assisted blocks. Junior outside hitter Megan Lipski chipped in eight kills to go along with 12 digs. Junior setter Marissa Prinzbach distributed a team-high 19 assists. Freshman defensive specialist Niki Bozinoski matched Ashy for the match lead with 16 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The 'Cats overcame an 8-7 deficit in the opening set with a 12-5 run that featured three kills by Burkle and two apiece by Lamberti and Kosiorek. Buffalo retaliated with three straight points, but the Bobcats answered with a 5-0 run that was highlighted by two kills by Kosiorek and a double block by Burkle and Walker and gave Ohio set point at 24-16. Buffalo closed the gap to five with three straight points, but a kill by Burkle put the Bobcats up in the match, 1-0.

• The second set opened with Ohio and Buffalo trading points until Ohio turned an 11-10 edge into by scoring nine of the set's next 10 points. The stretch was powered by two service aces by Kosiorek and back-to-back kills by Lamberti. Ohio closed the set out with a 5-3 run, using kills by Lamberti, Bull, Kosiorek and Walker to take a 2-0 lead. 

• Ohio turned an 8-7 lead in the third stanza into a 16-10 advantage courtesy of an 8-3 run that featured kills by Lamberti, Kosiorek and Walker and a double block by Gilleland and Bull. Bufflao closed the gap to two four times at 16-14, 17-15, 19-17 and 20-18, but Ohio scored three of the next four points with kills by Bull and Lamberti to up its lead to 23-19. The Bulls cut the Bobcats' lead to three at 23-20 with a double block, but kills by Walker and Burkle gave Ohio its 15th straight win.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Head coach Deane Webb is the first first-year head coach in the history of the Ohio volleyball program to lead the Bobcats to 14 straight MAC wins to open the conference portion of a season.

WHAT'S NEXT

Ohio closes its 2014 MAC regular season slate by playing host to a pair of MAC East Division clashes at the Convocation Center. The Bobcats battle Bowling Green next Friday (Nov. 14) before celebrating Senior Day with a 'Battle of the Bricks' matchup against Miami on Saturday (Nov. 15). Both matches begin at 7 p.m ET.

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