Watching the Ohio volleyball team play, it is easy to see why American
Volleyball Coaches Association voters decided to list them No. 30 in the latest Top
25 poll.
But there is also statistical evidence to back up that listing.
The team stands 19th in the nation with 2.9 total blocks per game and has the second highest solo block total (74) among the top 20 statistical leaders. A big reason for this is middle blocker Laura Hageman. She stands 11th in the NCAA with 1.53 bpg.
A testament to the Bobcats' emphasis on defense also stands out among Division I teams. The team ranks 27th in digs per game at 17.5 dpg, and libero Michaele Blackburn leads the defense with 3.96 dpg.
These statistics and how they transfer to the court are often too much for many Mid-American Conference competitors to handle. Ohio remains the only MAC team that is undefeated in conference play, and its overall record of 16-3, an .842 winning percentage, ties for 18th nationally.
Kent State (9-8 overall, 5-3 MAC) and Miami (7-17, 1-8 MAC) will be the next two teams to have a chance to knock off the Bobcats, the preseason favorite to win the MAC.
Kent State sits second in the MAC East Division, but lost to Ball State, 3-0, in its last outing on Oct. 18. During the 2002 regular season, Ohio beat the Golden Flashes at home, 3-0, but then fell to them on the road, 3-2, in its last match. Three days later, the Bobcats beat them in the second round of the MAC Tournament.
Kent State relies on outside hitter Danielle Holt for her 4.69 kills per game to lead the offense, while libero Tarrin Pelton carries the defense, digging the ball a team-high 3.59 times per game.
Miami, usually a frontrunner for a volleyball crown, sits at the bottom of the East Division, and lost to Ohio, 3-0, in the teams' last meeting on Oct. 1. The RedHawks picked up their first MAC win against Toledo on Sept. 26, but since then, they have lost nine in a row.
Outside hitters Tara Buroker and Angie Zent lead Miami in kills with 3.38 kpg and 2.67 kpg, respectively, while libero Suzy Wolford anchors the defense with 3.44 dpg.
Ohio takes on Kent State today in Kent and Miami on Saturday in Oxford. Both matches begin at 7 p.m.
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