ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team (5-4, 0-0 MAC) defeated William and Mary (5-3, 0-0 CAA) 3-1 (25-18, 25, 14, 23-25, 25-19) in the final match of the Bobcat Invitational.  

The Bobcats were led by graduate student Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) who totaled a match-high of 14 kills. O'Farrell recorded a .417 hit percentage along with three blocks. 

Freshman Torre Kildow (Bethesda, Ohio) contributed on both sides of the ball, recording 12 kills and 12 digs. Sophomore Anna Kharchynska (Kyiv, Ukraine), senior Elizabeth Hoerlein (Mason, Ohio), and junior Caroline Clippard (Cincinnati, Ohio) all greatly contributed with a double digit kill count.  

The match began with the Bobcats taking the first lead and never looking back. A 7-0 run sparked from two O'Farrell kills gave Ohio a 10-3 advantage. The Tribe got close, but Ohio's 5-1 run clinched the set, 25-18.  

The Bobcats' momentum continued into set two. Back-to-back aces from senior?Sam Steele?(Omaha, Neb.) contributed to a 6-0 run for the Bobcats. After some back-and-forth between the teams, consecutive kills from Kharchynska gave Ohio the 16-10 lead. The Bobcats continued to dominate throughout the set and tallied an 8-1 run to win, 25-14.  

William & Mary cut Ohio's lead in half as the Tribe took the third set in a 25-23 decision. 

Ohio bounced back after losing the third set and secured the match with a 25-19 win in the fourth. The set started as a close matchup but after sitting at a 7-7 tie, the Bobcats broke away from the Tribe and totaled an 11-3 run.

Up next, the Bobcats will travel to Ames, Iowa to compete in the Cyclone Invitational with matchups against Drake, Iowa State, and UC Santa Barbara. Their first match will be against Drake on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET. 

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