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HONOLULU -- The Ohio University volleyball team understood going into the 2014 Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational that, in a 2014 season opening tournament featuring two top-25 squads and a top-tier team out of the Mountain West Conference, every point, set and match victory had to be fought for.

The Bobcats (1-1) picked themselves up from a 1-0 match deficit and rallied back to beat San Diego State University (0-2), 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22) on Saturday (Aug. 30) night at the Stan Sheriff Center.

“The ability to keep composure was important,” said first-year head coach Deane Webb. “We lost the first set and had to come back after that. It can be tough. You lose that first set and not know what you have or what you’re made of. That second set was one of the best that we’ve played.”

The victory marked the first triumph of a new era of Ohio volleyball under Webb.

“Every year, every team is kind of figuring out who they are and how good they’re going to be,” said Webb. “You need some milestones or markers allowing the way. Every step is important.

Senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberti (Cary, Ill.) led the charge, piling up a season-high 22 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double of the year and 50^th of her career. She reached the 20-kill mark for the ninth time in her career.

“It didn’t surprise me,” said Webb of his 2013 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Honorable Mention, who bounced back after being limited to just five kills on earlier in the day in a 3-0 loss to the No. 17-ranked University of Hawai’i. “She’s obviously an outstanding player. She went out and just played great and served well. She’s just a high-level player. She came back out and was a huge key to our win.”

Freshman Jaime Kosiorek (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) hit double-digit kills for the first time in her career, piling up 10.

“Both from attacking and the service line, she did a good job,” said Webb of Kosiorek. “She really made some good decisions. She was able to attack and be effective out of system. She not only took those unforced errors away and made them attacks, sometimes she took those unforced errors away and made them kills. That’s just the growing up that she’s doing, and it’s happening before our eyes. She’s going to be a dynamic player.”

Junior setter Abby Gilleland (Bull Valley, Ill.) distributed 38 assists. She and junior middle blocker Karin Bull (Bloomington, Minn.) combined to account for nine of the team’s 13 blocks, with Bull recording a match-high five.

Junior libero Meredith Ashy (Louisville, Ky.) piled up a team-high 22 digs, and sophomore setter/defensive specialist Brooke Coleman (Plano, Texas) posted 12.

Despite falling in the first set by three points, the 'Cats continued to attack and took advantage of 29 attack errors by the Aztecs â€" including 11 in the second set.

Ohio responded in the second set to tie the match up. A kill by Kosiorek ensured the 'Cats were the first team to 10, but a 5-1 run by San Diego State put the Aztecs in front, 13-11. Ohio answered the call, however, scoring six of the next seven points to take a 17-14 lead, capitalizing on a kill by Lamberti and five attack errors by San Diego State that included three double blocks by Gilleland and Bull and forced the Aztecs to burn a timeout. The 'Cats were not phased by the break in action, though, extending the run to a 12-5 count thanks in large part to yet another double block by Gilleland and Bull and a solo stuff by Kosiorek. The Bobcats scored two of the set’s final three points off kills by Lamberti to record their first set victory of the season.

San Diego State built up a 19-16 lead in the third set, but a serving error by the Aztecs, a kill by senior middle blocker/outside hitter Hannah Burkle (Crystal Lake, Ill.), a solo block by Bull and a ball handling error by San Diego State highlighted a 4-1 run by the Bobcats that tied the set at 20-all. Ohio put together a final push to win the set and take a 2-1 match lead. The Aztecs committed a ball handling error and an attack error, and sophomore outside hitter/libero Mallory Salis (Oak Lawn, Ill.), Lamberti and Kosiorek followed with kills to seal the deal.

Ohio once again faced an early deficit in the fourth set, as San Diego State took advantage of two attack errors and two service aces to build a 10-6 lead. The Bobcats used a 6-2 run highlighted by kills by Kosiorek, junior middle blocker/outside hitter Shelby Walker (Bradenton, Fla.) and Burkle to even things up at 12-all. The Aztecs grabbed a 20-19 lead after trading points with Ohio, but a kill by Kosiorek and a service ace by Gilleland helped Ohio grab a 22-20 lead and force San Diego State to call timeout. A solo block by Kosiorek and a ball handling error by the Aztecs gave Ohio match point at 24-20. San Diego State rattled off two straight points to cut it to 24-22, but another Kosiorek kill clinched Ohio’s first win of the season.

The Bobcats look to close their stay at the Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational on a high note when they battle No. 25 Arizona State University (2-0) on Sunday (Aug. 31) at 9 p.m. ET. The Sun Devils upset host Hawai’i, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-23) early Sunday morning.

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