ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team (19-10, 13-5 MAC) finished regular season play with a dominating 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-15) win over Kent State (13-16, 4-14 MAC) on Wednesday night (Nov. 16) inside the Convocation Center.

The Bobcats outhit the Golden Flashes .310 to .089. Ohio tallied 46 kills, 45 assists and 73 digs compared to Kent State's 28 kills, 26 assists and 50 digs.

Set one started off slow, with the Bobcats going down 0-3 before getting on the board. Ohio found itself down 3-11 early in the contest before finding its footing, going on a 4-0 scoring run to crawl back to a 8-12 deficit. Later in the set, the Bobcats were still right with the Golden Flashes, only down 16-19. After an impressive series by the Bobcats, Ohio tied the game at 21 a piece, forcing Kent State to call their first timeout. The Bobcats took their first lead of the set at 22-21, and finished the set strong with a 25-23 victory. 

Set two was an all around dominating offensive performance by the Bobcats. Ohio brought its momentum from the first set into the second, creeping out to a 6-2 lead early. A 4-0 scoring run from the Bobcats put them up 10-5, forcing Kent to call its first timeout. The Bobcats would not let the Golden Flashes come back, expanding their lead to 20-13. Kent State went on a slight run, but it was not enough as the Bobcats were able to close out the set 25-17.  

The Bobcats were neck and neck with Kent State throughout the first half of the set until finally pulling away, gaining a 12-8 lead. Ohio did not let up, achieving its largest lead of the set, 20-11. The Bobcats continued the offensive barrage, ending the match strong with a 25-15 win.

Sophomore outside hitter Caroline Clippard (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the match with 11 kills and a .429 hitting percentage. Senior Olivia Margolies (Galena, Ohio) and freshman opposite hitter Anna Kharchynska (Kyiv, Ukraine) followed with 8 kills apiece. Continuing on the offensive end, senior setter Parker Kwiatkowski (Grand Rapids, Mich.) matched Kent's leader with 24 assists, while junior setter Tria McLean (Battle Creek, Neb.) notched 18 of her own.

On the defense side, Margolies led the Bobcats with 16 digs, achieving a double-double. Junior libero Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) and junior defensive specialist Maci Watrous (Coppell, Texas) posted 15 and 14 digs of their own.

The Bobcats sweep of Kent State solidified Ohio's spot in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Bobcats will travel to Muncie, Ind. to compete in the quarterfinal of the championship. More information on the tournament is to follow. 

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