Ohio Volleyball Wins Five-Set Thriller Against Western Michigan on Friday Night

Friday, October 30

Athens, Ohio

6 p.m. ET

13-10,6-6MAC

Western Michigan

14-8,6-5MAC

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Western Mich.	16	22	25	26	6	2
Ohio	25	25	21	24	15	3

Game Notes Digital Guide

10/30/2026 11:28:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio volleyball team (13-10, 6-6 MAC) defeated Western Michigan (14-8, 6-5 MAC) 3-2 (25-16, 25-22, 21-25, 24-26, 15-6) on Friday, Oct. 30 in the Convocation Center.

Ohio finished with 65 kills, six aces, even blocks, 58 assists and 66 digs. Western Michigan finished with 55 kills, four aces, three blocks, 48 assist and 64 digs. The Bobcats recorded a .329 team hitting percentage while holding the Broncos to a .179 percentage.

Four Bobcats finished with double-digit kills, led by freshman Rose Mahin (Franklin, Ind.) with a team-high 16 kills. Sophomore Bailey Blair (Louisville, Ky.) recorded 14 kills, the second most on the team, in addition to seven digs. Senior Olivia Gardner (Macomb, Mich.) recorded a team-high .500 attack percentage with 12 kills and one error on 22 total attacks. Senior Gentry Brown (Shadyside, Ohio) finished with a double-double, tallying 12 kills and 15 digs.

A main contributor to Ohio's .329 hitting percentage was freshman setter Rowan Kelly (Akron, Ohio). Kelly recorded a team-high and career-high 52 assists. The freshman was responsible for the majority of the team's 58 total assists.

Junior Darbi Ricketts (Cincinnati, Ohio) led Ohio in digs with 16 total. At the net, senior Emily Waddell (Carmel, Ind.) recorded a team-high four blocks while Brown and Gardner added two blocks each.

Ohio came out strong in the first set, catching Western Michigan on its heels. The Bobcats earned an early 1-0 lead over the Broncos with a 25-16 win in the first. The second set was closer than the first, but Ohio still came out on top with a 25-22 win over Western Michigan.

Heading into the third set, Ohio held a 2-0 lead over Western Michigan. The Broncos were not ready to give the Bobcats the easy win. Western Michigan cut Ohio's lead to 2-1 after winning the third set in a 25-21 decision. The Broncos went on to tie the game at 2-2 after taking the fourth set 26-24.

The Bobcats bounced back with a strong start to the fifth set. Ohio quickly pulled away from Western Michigan. The Bobcats went on to win the set, 15-6, and take the 3-2 victory over the Broncos.

The Bobcats will be back in action at Kent State on Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. ET.

#OUohyeah