MUNCIE, Ind. -- The No. 3-seeded Ohio volleyball team's season came to a close after heartbreaking loss to No. 2-seeded Bowling Green in the semifinal of the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Bobcats dropped the match, 3-1 (18-25, 25-22, 21-25, 20-25) in Worthen Arena on Monday (Nov. 22).

Ohio dropped a tough first set to Bowling Green, hitting only .175 to the Falcon's .318. Bowling Green gained a five-point lead over the Bobcats early on, but a three-point run from Ohio put them back in the set. The Bobcats were able to tie things up at 11-11, but the Falcons pulled away once again. Despite their efforts, Ohio could not work themselves out of the deficit and fell 25-18 in set one.

The first three points of set two came from Bowling Green but a four-point run from the Bobcats put Ohio in front. The Falcons came close to tying things up with the Bobcats, but Ohio refused to give up their lead. The resilient Bobcats grabbed set two and evened out the semifinal, 1-1.

Set three brought new challenges for Ohio after the Bobcats recorded eight attack errors and three service error. Just when it looked like things were over for Ohio, the Bobcats went on a seven-point run to put them just in reach of the lead. Unfortunately, Bowling Green was able to maintain the distance and took the third set 25-21.

Ohio fought hard in the fourth set to keep their tournament days alive. Although Ohio forced four ties, the Bobcats were unable to regain their lead and the Falcons secured the set and a spot in the final. Despite their loss, Ohio defied the odds by making it to the tournament after a rocky 1-15 start to the season. The Bobcats where 10-3 heading into the tournament and were able to extend their season by defeating Northern Illinois in the quarterfinal.

Individually, five players tallied 10 or more kills and four players registered 10 or more digs. Fifth year opposite hitter Maggie Nedoma (Brook Park, Ohio) led Ohio's offense, collecting 15 kills. Junior outside hitter Olivia Margolies (Galena, Ohio) and sophomore middle blocker Elizabeth Hoerlein (Mason, Ohio) followed with 11 apiece. Margolies picked up her seventh double-double of the season after pocketing an additional 16 digs. Junior middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) and freshman outside hitter Caroline Clippard (Cincinnati, Ohio) both added 10 kills as well. Additionally, sophomore setter Tria McLean (Battle Creek, Neb.) achieved a double-double, tallying 43 assists and 13 digs. Other key defensive players were sophomores Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) and Maci Watrous (Coppell, Texas). Steele led the way, posting 17 digs, while Watrous added 11.

This concludes the 2021 season for Ohio volleyball. Stay tuned for updates as they head into the 2022 season.

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