Sept. 1, 2014
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HONOLULU -- The Ohio University volleyball team (1-2) gave No. 25-ranked Arizona State University (3-0) all it could handle, falling in a five-set thriller, 3-2 (25-16, 24-26, 26-24, 24-26, 15-8), on Sunday (Aug. 31) in its final match of the 2014 Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational at the Stan Sheriff Center.
The Bobcats finished the 2014 season's opening weekend of competition with a 1-2 mark, falling to the No. 17-ranked University of Hawai'i, 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20), early Saturday (Aug. 30) morning before bouncing back to down San Diego State University, 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22), later that evening.
"I think we are improving rapidly," said first-year head coach Deane Webb of the progress his club made over the weekend in Honolulu. "There's a part of volleyball that's wins and losses and percentages and stats. There's a part of it that's eye test. I can say, without a doubt, that, today, against Arizona State, who beat Hawai'i in three, we were playing an entirely different level of volleyball than what we played on the first night against Hawai'i. I was really impressed with our team, overall. I think it was a great weeked for us serving and that we had a good blocking weekend."
Senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberti (Cary, Ill.) recorded a match-high 20 kills and achieved a double-double with 17 digs. She posted at least 20 kills for the second straight match and 10th time in her career and tallied her second straight double-double and 51st of her career. Lamberti's efforts earned her a spot on the All-2014 Chevron Rainbow Wahine Invitational Team.
Freshman outside hitter Jaime Kosiorek (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) put together a career night for the 'Cats, tallying 13 kills and eight service aces. She posted double-digit kills for the second straight match.
"There were times in the second set where she was serving balls that they just couldn't touch," said Webb of Kosiorek's eight aces. "It was so incredible just to see that kid really grow up over the weekend. You don't see eight aces against a top-25 team by one player. She's worked really hard on it the last couple of weeks, and it's exciting for her future."
Junior setter Abby Gilleland (Bull Valley, Ill.) matched her season high from the previous match with 38 assists. She also achieved her first double-double of the season and 17th of her career with 13 digs.
The trio of junior middle blocker/outside hitter Shelby Walker (Bradenton, Fla.), junior middle blocker Karin Bull (Bloomington, Minn.) and senior middle blocker/outside hitter Hannah Burkle (Crystal Lake, Ill.) combined to help Ohio tally 26 blocks. Walker tallied a career-high eight to lead the match, Bull posted six -- including two solo stuffs -- and Burkle added a career-high six.
"That was definitely a plus all weekend for us," said Webb. "That's something that our team has done well, historically, and that was the case again this weekend."
Junior libero Meredith Ashy (Louisville, Ky.) tallied a team-high 18 digs.
The match began as an uphill battle for Ohio, with Arizona State limiting the Bobcats to just six kills and forcing six errors as the Sun Devils jumped out of the gate to a 20-9 lead. The 'Cats managed to build momentum for themselves heading into the second set, though, outscoring the Sun Devils down the stretch by a 7-5 count. The stretch included a solo block by Walker, a double block by Burkle and Walker and a service ace and a kill by Kosiorek.
The second set saw the two squads trade points to a 9-9 tie before the Bobcats rattled off four straight points thanks to kills by Gilleland and Kosiorek and a double block by Burkle and Walker. The Sun Devils trimmed Ohio's lead to 13-12, but the 'Cats quickly built it back up to a six point advantage - a stretch in which Kosiorek posted a kill and three service aces to make it 18-12. Arizona State fought back with a 7-2 run, but Ohio brought things to set point at 24-22 with a 4-3 stretch that was topped by a kill by Kosiorek. Arizona State rattled off two points to tie the set, but a service error by the Sun Devils and another service ace by Kosiorek handed Arizona State its first set loss of the weekend and tied the match at one-all.
Ohio and Arizona State traded points back and forth throughout the third set up until an 18-all tie. The Sun Devils then strung together three straight points to take a 21-18 lead. The Bobcats countered with a 3-1 run to make it a 21-20 affair. The Sun Devils brought it to set point at 24-21, but double blocks by Burkle and Walker and two in a row by Bull and Lamberti knotted things up at 24-all. Unfortunately for Ohio, Arizona State ended the set with back-to-back double blocks to take a 2-1 match lead.
The Bobcats set the tone early in the fourth set, jumping out to a 12-8 lead thanks in large part to four kills by Lamberti. The Sun Devils responded with a 12-6 run to snatch a 20-18 lead and force Ohio to call timeout. Ohio dug deep, though, to go on a 5-1 run highlighted by a kill and a service ace by Kosiorek and two kills by Lamberti. Arizona State didn't give in, though, rallying back to take a 24-23 lead and forcing a match-point situation. Ohio ensured a decisive fifth set would be played, though, taking advantage of a service error by the Sun Devils and receiving a kill by Lamberti and a double block by Lamberti and Bull.
Unfortunately for Ohio, the momentum from the end of the fourth set did not carry over to the fifth, as the Sun Devils jumped out to a 9-1 lead and never looked back.
Junior outside hitter Macey Gardner recorded a double-double to lead Arizona State, totaling a team-high 18 kills and to go along with 11 digs.
The Bobcats get the opportunity to play in front of their home crowd for the first time in 2014 at the Convocation Center this weekend, playing host to the Baymont Inn & Suites Invitational. Ohio is slated to take on Texas A&M University on Friday (Sept. 5) at 7 p.m. ET, then battling Virginia Commonwealth University on Saturday (Sept. 6) at noon ET and Virginia Tech University at 7 p.m. ET.
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