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AKRON, Ohio -- Senior middle blocker Tia Jimerson (Sugar Hill, Ga.) totaled a match-high 14 kills and six block assists as the Ohio volleyball team (2-1, 2-1 MAC) picked up its first road win of the 2021 spring season with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20) victory over host Akron (1-4, 1-4 MAC) Thursday (February 4) evening at James A. Rhodes Arena. 

"I'm proud of the effort our back row players put into their work on defense this evening," said head coach Deane Webb. "We cooled off a bit after the first two sets, but the first half of the match gave us a glimpse of what we can be on defense. We've spent considerable time on training that side of the ball in the last few weeks, and I'm thrilled that our team is getting to see the result of their work."

Jimerson hit .300 for the match and was one of four Bobcats to tally double-digit kills. Junior outside hitter Mariana Rodrigues (Santana De Parnaiba, Brazil) recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. Junior outside hitter/right-side hitter Lauren Park (Millersburg, Ohio) posted 11 kills while senior opposite hitter Maggie Nedoma (Brook Park, Ohio) attacked at a .261 clip and finished with 10 kills. Freshman setter Tria McLean (Battle Creek, Neb.) directed the offense with 48 assists and also added two service aces.

Freshman defensive specialist/libero Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) led the match with 27 digs. Also logging double digit digs were freshman defensive specialist/libero Maci Watrous (Coppell, Texas) with 16 and senior libero/defensive specialist Macy Reihing (Lexington, Ky.) with 11. Watrous also tallied a match-high four service aces.

"Much like our opening weekend, our first match of the weekend included far too many unforced hitting errors," said Webb. "Hopefully, like the last weekend we played, we will be much cleaner on day two."

Akron jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, but Ohio rattled off five-straight points courtesy of three service aces by Watrous and two kills by redshirt freshman middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) to give the Bobcats a 14-12 lead. Ohio never trailed in the set again en route to a three-point win. Jimerson and Rodrigues led the way in the opening act with four kills apiece.

The Bobcats posted a six-point victory in the second set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. Nedoma paced Ohio with five kills while Jimerson tacked on three more to her total in addition to two block assists. Ohio broke a 10-all tie courtesy of a service ace by McLean and led the rest of the way.

The Zips extended the evening with a six-point win of their own in the third set, but Ohio sealed the deal with a five-point victory in set four. The match-clinching win in the fourth set saw Jimerson compile five kills while hitting .400 and Nedoma, Park and Rodrigues each log three kills. Akron accounted for the first three points of the set, but Ohio scored four of the next five to even the score and then took a lead it never relinquished on an attack error by the Zips.

Ohio and Akron will square off again on Friday (February 5) at the JAR, with action slated to get underway at 7 p.m. ET.

"I am interested to see how our players respond to a win in the first match and if we have the drive to seek excellence tomorrow," said Webb.

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