FOLLOW OHIO VOLLEYBALL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio volleyball team (0-1, 0-1 MAC) fell to Central Michigan (1-0, 1-0 MAC) in its 2020-21 season opener, 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 19-25, 15-13), on Saturday (January 23) at the Convocation Center in a match that took two days to complete due to a power outage on Friday (January 22) in southeast Ohio.

Junior outside hitter Lauren Park (Millersburg, Ohio) led the Bobcats with match-high 18 kills. Senior middle blocker Tia Jimerson (Sugar Hill, Ga.) followed closely behind with 15 kills and matched sophomore middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) for the team lead with four total blocks. Senior opposite hitter Maggie Nedoma (Brook Park, Ohio) attacked at a team-high .267 clip with 12 kills. Senior setter Vera Giacomazzi (San Vendemiano, Italy) totaled 30 assists and achieved a double-double with 10 digs, and freshman setter Tia McLean (Battle Creek, Neb.) reached double-digit assists in her collegiate debut with 14. Additionally, freshman defensive specialist Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) tallied a team-high 22 digs in her collegiate debut, and senior libero/defensive specialist Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.) added 14.

The Chippewas took the first set, 25-20, after hitting .310 as a team to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

Ohio evened the match at one set apiece courtesy of a second-set victory that featured 11 ties, took two days to complete and was won by three points. With the score even at 22-all, the Bobcats received back-to-back kills from Jimerson and Park to put Ohio a point away from victory. However, a region-wide power outage forced the match to be postponed for completion on Saturday morning. Park started the new day of play by giving Ohio the set win with a kill. Eight of her match-high 18 kills came in the second act. 

The Chippewas rolled to a 10-point win in the third set and never trailed, hitting .312 while limiting the Bobcats to a -.065 attack percentage. With the fourth set even at 14-all, Ohio proceeded to produce an 11-5 run that was highlighted by three kills by Nedoma to force a fifth set.

Ohio took an 8-7 lead in the fifth set on a kill by O'Farrell, but Central Michigan scored four of the next five points to snatch an 11-9 advantage and force the Bobcats to burn a timeout. A double block by Jimerson and Giacomazzi shaved Ohio's deficit to one point at 13-12 and pushed the Chippewas to take a timeout. A kill put Central Michigan a point away from victory, but Jimerson kept Ohio alive with a kill of her own. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, junior outside hitter Savannah Thompson ended the match by coming up with a kill that gave the Chippewas the season-opening win.

Ohio and Central Michigan will square off again this evening at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Convo to close out the opening weekend of play.

#OUOhYeah