For the second consecutive weekend, the Bobcats can enjoy home cooking, as the team is set to host Niagara, Belmont and Montana State in the Bobcat Invitational at The Convo.
Ohio (1-5) hosted the Baymont Invitational last weekend and earned its first win of the season against Western Carolina on Saturday, but also fell to No. 13 Oregon and No. 19 Kentucky.
Although none of the teams ready to take the court in Athens this weekend boast a national ranking, the Bobcats are optimistic about being able to play more consistently and reduce unnecessary errors.
“We slowed practice down a little bit this week,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis. “Three matches every weekend is quite a lot, so we are trying to slow down and just focus on improvement. But we still need to focus on scoring through our offense and limit unforced errors.”
Despite recent outcomes, Ohio swept the Mid-American Conference East player of the week honors. Sophomores Kelly Lamberti and Serena Warner were awarded the offensive and defensive honors, respectively.
“I think that playing these tough teams has showed us what we need to work on and what needs changing,” Lamberti said. “I want to do the best I can for my team and keep playing the way I have been thus far.”
The Bobcats will begin play this weekend with two matches Friday, the first beginning at noon against Niagara (3-3).
The Purple Eagles had a three-match winning streak snapped last weekend against South Carolina. Outside hitter Kari Honomichl leads the team offensively, accounting for 35 percent of its total kills.
The Bobcats will then face off against Belmont (1-5) in the second half of their Friday doubleheader.
After winning the first match of the season, the Bruins have lost five consecutive matches, winning only a single set in the process.
Middle blocker Allison McCoy leads the team in kills with 43, following a weekend when she recorded 29.
The final match of the weekend will be played between two Bobcat teams, when Ohio hosts Montana State (4-1) at 4 p.m. Saturday.
At the helm of Montana State’s program is coach Kyle Weindel, who will make his return to his old stomping grounds this weekend after being a member of the Ohio coaching staff for the previous four seasons.
Montana State was in Ohio last weekend, having won matches against both Akron and Quinnipiac. Setter Jennifer Lundquist was named the Akron Invitational’s most valuable player after recording 59 assists and 15 digs in two wins.
This weekend’s tournament will mark the last time the Bobcats will play at home until the end of the month.
“It’s really nice being at home,” Theis said. “We just want to play well, get a good crowd and hopefully put on a good show for our fans.”
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