CINCINNATI -- Senior outside hitter Kelly Lamberti (Cary, Ill.), junior middle blocker Karin Bull (Bloomington, Minn.) and freshman outside hitter Jaime Kosiorek (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) all posted double-digit kills to propel the Ohio University volleyball team (5-3) to a 3-1 (28-26, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21) triumph over in-state rival Ohio State University (5-3) on Saturday (Sept. 13) in the 2014 Millennium Hotel Invitational at the Cintas Center.

 

The Bobcats have rattled off four straight wins â€" including a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-19) victory over tournament host Xavier University on Friday (Sept. 12). Ohio knocked off the Buckeyes for just the second time in 11 all-time meetings. 

 

Lamberti led the way with a match-high 17 kills to go along with nine digs, two total blocks (one solo, one assisted) and two service aces. She has hit double figures in kills in six straight matches.

 

Bull reached double digits for the first time in 2014 with 12 kills. She did not commit an attack error in 21 attempts. Bull added two assisted blocks to Ohio’s cause. 

 

Kosiorek continued the strong start to her collegiate career, tallying double-digit kills for the second-straight match and fourth time this season with 10. She committed just two errors in 29 total attacks and contributed five digs and two service aces. 

 

The 'Cats got after it on the defensive end, with junior libero Meredith Ashy (Louisville, Ky.) totaling a match-high 25 digs, sophomore outside hitter/libero Mallory Salis (Oak Lawn, Ill.) posting a season-high 16 and sophomore setter/defensive specialist Brooke Coleman (Plano, Texas) recording 10. Junior setter Abby Gilleland (Bull Valley, Ill.) achieved a double-double with 14 digs and a match-high 41 assists. She has tallied at least 40 assists in two of the last three matches.

 

The Bobcats and the Buckeyes traded points in the early going of the opening set until Ohio rattled off an 8-2 run to take an 18-12 lead with two kills by Bull, a kill by Salis and service aces by Lamberti and junior outside hitter/middle blocker Shelby Walker (Bradenton, Fla.) highlighting the stretch. Ohio State struck back with a 10-4 run to tie things up at 22-all. The Buckeyes reached set point at 25-24, but a kill by Gilleland evened the score. With the set tied at 26-all, Ohio received back-to-back kills from Bull and Gilleland to take a 1-0 lead.

 

The Buckeyes took command of the second set, jumping out to a 15-10 lead. Ohio responded with a 10-5 run to knot the set at 20-all, thanks in large part to two kills by Lamberti, kills by Kosiorek and senior middle blocker/outside hitter Hannah Burkle (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and a service ace by Gilleland. Ohio State built the lead back up to 22-21, but Ohio rallied with a 4-0 run to take the 2-0 match lead, using a kill by Lamberti, a double block by Gilleland and Bull and another kill by Lamberti to seal the deal.

 

Ohio State prevailed in a tightly contested third set, 26-24, to extend the match to four sets.

 

The fourth set had the same tone to it as the previous three, with the two squads trading points back and forth. With the set knotted at 18-all, the Bobcats made their final push, ending the match on a 7-3 run courtesy of two kills by Lamberti, a kill by Burkle, a double block by Burkle and Walker and a kill by Bull that clinched the win for the Bobcats.

 

Ohio closes the weekend on Saturday (Sept. 13) at 4:30 p.m. ET against Syracuse University. 

 

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