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ATHENS, Ohio -- Senior middle blocker Tia Jimerson (Sugar Hill, Ga.) led the way with a team-high 17 kills and a match-high six total blocks as the Ohio volleyball team (1-1, 1-1 MAC) swept Central Michigan (1-1, 1-1 MAC), 3-0 (25-15, 31-29, 25-22) on Saturday (January 23) evening the Convocation Center.

The Bobcats bounced back from a season-opening 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 19-25, 15-13) loss to the Chippewas to split the weekend series at the Convo.

Ohio hit .354 as a team in the victory.

"As good as this last match was, and it was a very good, there is a lot of things that we left out there defensively. There is a lot of thing need to be cleaned up. Our opponent still hit .260 today, we were just special at offense and found a way to win," said seventh-year head coach Deane Webb. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to get into the gym and really grind on that part of the game because I do believe that the potential of this team is very high, but we are going to have to get better defensively."

Jimerson was one of four Bobcats to post double-digit kills. "Junior outside hitter Lauren Park (Millersburg, Ohio) hit at a .312 clip and added 14 kills of her own. Junior outside hitter Mariana Rodrigues (Santana De Parnaiba, Brazil) and redshirt freshman middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) tallied 11 apiece O'Farrell finished the night with match-high attack percentage of .588 and secured three total block for the Bobcats. Freshman Tria McLean (Battle Creek, Nebraska) achieved her first collegiate double-double, totaling 49 assists and 10 digs. Additionally, senior libero/defensive specialist Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.) contributed 10 digs and freshman defensive specialist Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) recorded a match-high 15. 

Ohio opened up the match with a 10-point win in the opening set, with O'Farrell leading the way with six kills and two assisted blocks and Jimerson adding four kills.

The Bobcats prevailed in a wild second set, 31-29. The frame featured 14 ties and eight lead changes, but Jimerson's eighth kill of the set gave Ohio a 2-0 match lead.

Ohio produced a wire-to-wire win in the third set to seal the sweep, as Park and O'Farrell each logged six kills and Jimerson added five more and three total blocks.

Ohio is slated to be back in action February 4-5 at Akron. The Bobcats had been scheduled to visit Eastern Michigan next weekend (January 28-29), but the matches have been postponed due to roster issues with the Eastern Michigan volleyball program related to positive COVID-19 tests and subsequent contact tracing.

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