ATHENS, Ohio – The No. 3 seed Ohio volleyball team (14-16, 12-6 MAC) will face tournament host and No. 6 seed Bowling Green (16-14, 10-8 MAC) in the quarterfinals of the 2025 MAC Volleyball Championships on Friday, Nov. 21. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
POSTSEASON #MACTION: 2025 MAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
No. 3 seed Ohio is set to face tournament host and No. 6 seed Bowling Green in the quarterfinals of the MAC Volleyball Championships on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. ET.
 
Ohio finished the regular season with a 14-16 overall and 12-6 conference record. The Bobcats average a .193 attack percentage, 13.0 kills, 11.9 assists, 1.7 aces, 13.8 digs and 1.7 blocks per set. Ohio's opponents average a .214 attack percentage, 11.2 kills, 10.3 assists, 1.2 aces, 13.7 digs and 2.0 blocks per set.
 
Bowling Green finished the regular season with a 16-14 overall and 10-8 conference record. The Falcons average a .201 attack percentage, 12.56 kills, 11.73 assists, 1.55 aces, 13.63 digs and 2.36 blocks per set. Bowling Green's opponents average a .185 attack percentage, 11.67 kills, 10.91 assists, 1.59 aces, 13.09 digs and 2.25 blocks per set.
 
The two teams last met earlier this season. Ohio opened up conference play with a 3-1 loss at Bowling Green. The Falcons lead the Bobcats in the two team's all-time series with a 43-39 record.
 
2025 MAC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Friday, Nov. 21 (Quarterfinals):
Game 1: No. 4 Toledo vs. No. 5 Miami at 4 PM ET
Game 2: No. 6 Bowling Green vs. No. 3 Ohio at 7 PM ET
 
Saturday, Nov. 22 (Semifinals):
Game 3: No. 1 Ball State vs. Game 1 Winner at 4 PM ET
Game 4: No. 2 Western Michigan vs. Game 2 Winner at 7 PM ET
 
Sunday, Nov. 23 (Championships):
Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner at 4 PM ET
 
BOBCATS BOUND FOR MAC TOURNAMENT
After narrowly missing the tournament last season, Ohio clinched its spot in the 2025 MAC Championships after a successful weekend at Northern Illinois. After the conclusion of regular season play, seeding for the tournament was announced. The Bobcats received the No. 3 seed and will play tournament host, No. 6 seed Bowling Green.
 
KENZIE BRINKMAN NAMED OHIO VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH
Ohio Director of Athletics Slade Larscheid announced on Thursday, Nov. 20 that Kenzie Brinkman has been named the 13th head coach in Ohio Volleyball history, removing the interim tag she has held since May.
 
"We are extremely excited and thankful to have Coach Brinkman lead our volleyball program," said Larscheid. "Over the course of the last four seasons, Kenzie has developed outstanding relationships with our student-athletes and campus community. Her experience, leadership abilities and coaching style are an ideal fit for Ohio University."
Brinkman has led Ohio volleyball to a 12-6 Mid-American Conference record, earning the No. 3 seed to the 2025 MAC Volleyball Tournament.
 
"My husband, Clark, and I are more than thrilled and blessed to get the opportunity to stay in Athens and continue to be part of the Bobcat community," said Brinkman. "A place is only as good as the people in it, and I truly am surrounded by the best. This program is special.  I am honored and humbled to be the next head coach, and I'm very appreciative of Slade for entrusting me with the keys to a program with a rich history that I hope to continue in years to come."
 
BAILEY BLAIR NAMED MAC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR, EARNS ALL-MAC HONORS
Freshman Bailey Blair (Louisville, Ky.) is the first Bobcat to be named MAC Freshman of the Year since Tia Jimerson during the 2017 season. In addition to the award, Blair also earned a spot on the 2025 All-MAC First Team and MAC All-Freshman Team. Blair has done it all for the Bobcats – she has played outside, middle, and right side throughout her freshman campaign posting a .234 attack percentage.
 
Blair leads the team with 222 kills and ranks at ninth in the conference with 3.13 kills per set. She also leads the team with 526 total attempts, 239.5 points and 3.37 points per set. Blair has posted double-digit kills in 13 out of 18 MAC contests.
 
She has also eclipsed .400 attack percentage on four occasions: .516 (18-2-31) vs Akron, .450 (12-3-20) in a win vs Kent State, .444 (11-3-18) in a sweep vs Ball State, and .400 (17-5-30) in a win vs. CMU. In conference play, Blair also compiled five aces, 46 digs (0.65) and 21.0 total blocks including four solo blocks and 17 block assists.
 
EMILY WADDELL EARNS FIRST TEAM ALL-MAC HONORS
Junior Emily Waddell (Carmel, Ind.) earns her first All-MAC honor after being a standout player for Ohio on both sides of the court this season, especially during conference play.
 
Waddell is second on the team with a .319 attack percentage and sits at 10th in the conference. She has posted the two highest single-game attack percentages in all the MAC when she hit .800 (8-0-10) in a win vs Kent State and hit .778 (14-0-18) in a win vs Miami. She has also hit .692 (9-0-13) in a win vs Central Michigan and .615 (9-1-13) in a sweep of Ball State.
 
Waddell is first on the team and seventh in the conference with 0.34 aces per set. Waddell compiled 78.0 total blocks, including six solo blocks and 72 block assists, and averaged 1.10 blocks per set. The junior ranks seventh for blocks per set, seventh for block assists and ninth for solo blocks. Waddell recorded a career-high 10 blocks in Ohio's 3-2 win over EMU (10/16).
 
OHIO'S TURNING POINT
Ohio struggled throughout the first half of the 2025 season, experiencing an 11-game losing streak and opening conference play with four-straight losses. Since they grabbed their first MAC win of the season at Kent State (10/7), the Bobcats are 12-2 in their last 14 games and finished 12-6 in conference play.
 
TEAM STATISTIC CATEGORY LEADERS (TOP 3)
Points: Bailey Blair (394.0), Emily Waddell (293.5), Gentry Brown (293.0)
Kills: Bailey Blair (350), Gentry Brown (252), Torre Kildow (238)
Assists: Kendall White (650), Bryn Janke (454), Kendall Hickey (110)
Aces: Mady Long (32), Darbi Ricketts (31), Bryn Janke (29), Emily Waddell (29)
Digs: Kendall Hickey (331), Gentry Brown (239), Mady Long (183)
Blocks: Emily Waddell (105.0), Bailey Blair (49.0), Sierra Evans (46.0)
 
MAC OVERALL STATISTICAL LEADERS (11/18)
Team Rankings (Top 5):
Points Per Set - 5th (16.34)
Assists - 4th (1383)
Assists Per Set - 3rd (11.92)
Kills - 3rd (1504)
Kills Per Set - 3rd (12.97)
Aces - 2nd (193)
Aces Per Set - 2nd (1.66)
 
Individual Rankings (Top 10):
Hitting % - Sierra Evans (10th, .285)
Kills - Bailey Blair (8th, 350)
Kills Per Set - Bailey Blair (9th, 3.02)
Assists - Kendall White (10th, 650)
Assists Per Set - Kendall White (10th, 6.63)
Aces - Mady Long (9th, 32); Bryn Janke (10th, 29)
Aces Per Set - Mady Long (5th, 0.37); Bryn Janke (9th, 0.33)
Points - Bailey Blair (7th, 394.0)
Points Per Set - Bailey Blair (8th, 3.40)
 
Game Highs (Top 3):
Team Kills (3 Sets) - Ohio at Ball State (10/25), 2nd (55)
Team Kills (4 Sets) - Ohio vs. Akron (10/3), 2nd (71)
Team Assists (3 Sets) - Ohio at Ball State (10/25), 1st (53)
Team Blocks (5 Sets) - Ohio vs. Jacksonville St. (9/6), 3rd (16)
Individual Attack % - Emily Waddell vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 1st (.778)
Individual Attack % (3 Sets) - Emily Waddell vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 1st (.778)
Individual Kills (3 Sets) - Emily Waddell vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 3rd (14)
Individual Assists (3 Sets) - Kendall White vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 1st (46)
Individual Assists (4 Sets) - Kendall White vs. Miami (OH) (10/11), 1st (48)
 
MAC CONFERENCE ONLY STATISTICAL LEADERS (11/18)
Team Rankings (Top 5):
Points - 4th (1220)
Points Per Set - 3rd (17.18)
Hitting % - 2nd (.226)
Assists - 2nd (893)
Assists Per Set - 2nd (12.58)
Kills - 1st (973)
Kills Per Set - 2nd (13.70)
Aces - 3rd (118)
Aces Per Set - 3rd (1.66)
 
Individual Rankings (Top 10):
Hitting % - Sierra Evans (9th, .320); Emily Waddell (10th, .319)
Kills - Bailey Blair (7th, 222)
Kills Per Set - Bailey Blair (9th, 3.13)
Assists - Kendall White (7th, 452)
Assists Per Set - Kendall White (8th, 8.07)
Aces - Emily Waddell (6th, 24)
Aces Per Set - Emily Waddell (7th, 0.34)
Blocks - Emily Waddell (7th, 78)
Blocks Per Set - Emily Waddell (7th, 1.10)
Block Solos - Emily Waddell (9th, 6)
Block Assists - Emily Waddell (7th, 72)
Digs - Kendall Hickey (8th, 232)
Digs Per Set - Kendall Hickey (9th, 3.36)
 
Game Highs (Top 3):
Team Attack % - Ohio at Ball State (10/25), 3rd (.406)
Team Attack % (3 Sets) - Ohio at Ball State (10/25), 3rd (.406)
Team Kills (3 Sets) - Ohio at Ball State (10/25), 2nd (55)
Team Attack % (4 Sets) - Ohio vs. EMU (10/17), 3rd (.331)
Team Kills (4 Sets) - Ohio vs. Akron (10/3), 2nd (71)
Team Assists (3 Sets) - Ohio at Ball State (10/25), 1st (53)
Team Assists (4 Sets) - Ohio vs. Akron (10/3), 2nd (61)
Team Aces (4 Sets) - Ohio at Bowling Green (9/25), 3rd (12)
Team Blocks (3 Sets) - Ohio at Kent State (10/7), 3rd (12)
Individual Attack % - Emily Waddell vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 1st (.778)
Individual Attack % (3 Sets) - Emily Waddell vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 1st (.778)
Individual Kills (3 Sets) - Emily Waddell vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 2nd (14)
Individual Assists (3 Sets) - Kendall White vs. Miami (OH) (10/10), 1st (46)
Individual Assists (4 Sets) - Kendall White vs. Miami (OH) (10/11), 1st (48)
 
A NEW DAWN
Ohio kicks off the 2025 season with a new leader who is also a familiar face for the program. After spending three seasons as an assistant coach, Kenzie Brinkman enters her first season as the Bobcats' head coach. Ohio returns its other two assistant coaches, Steve Jones and Kevin Gwinn, as well as former student manager Sam DeJoseph who will be serving as a graduate assistant.
 
The 2025 roster features six newcomers, including two transfers and four freshmen. Senior Kendall White and junior Gentry Brown join the Bobcats from Kent State and Oakland. The freshmen class includes Mady Long, Cienna Lapsley, Bailey Blair and Lacy Marx.
 
#OUohyeah