Despite having only one loss in Mid-American Conference play, Ohio has not had sole possession of first place until Saturday.
The Bobcats (16-8, 11-1 MAC) defeated rivals Miami and Bowling Green this weekend in The Convo to extend their winning streak to 11 consecutive matches and break a tie with the Falcons for the best record in the MAC.
“It was really important to protect our home court this weekend,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis. “I thought we played well on Saturday and just at our average Friday, but we were still able to come out with two more wins this weekend.”
Friday, in the first match of the weekend, Ohio defeated Miami (9-16, 4-8 MAC) for the seventh-straight meeting and finished a sweep of the RedHawks this season. After winning the first set, the Bobcats lost in the second, but quickly rebounded to take the final two and the match.
Leading the way for the Bobcats was sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Bilger, who had a match-high 18 kills, as well as one and a half blocks en route to her 19.5-point performance.
Ohio struggled offensively in its second set loss, but after the break, the Bobcats came back on the court strong to total 56 kills and 52 assists on the night.
“We wanted to come out strong and play with a lot of confidence,” senior outside hitter Faith Robins said. “We did that early, then hit a bump in the second set. Luckily, we were able to turn things around and get a win tonight.”
Robins and the rest of Ohio were back in action Saturday against Bowling Green (15-9, 10-2 MAC) in a battle between the teams tied for the best record in the MAC.
The Bobcats suffered their only conference loss in September during the first meeting of the season between the two squads, as Ohio was swept.
However, the roles were reversed Saturday when Ohio recorded a straight-set sweep of Bowling Green.
“I think earlier in the season (Bowling Green) was playing at their best and we weren’t,” Theis said. “But this time we were playing at a very high level and they have been in a rut, lately. (Bowling Green) is capable of playing at a much higher level than we saw. ”
Ohio won each set by at least four points in the sweep, as the Bobcat offense was firing across the board.
Multiple players recorded double-digit kills, while freshman Abby Gilleland assisted her teammates 40 times — marking the third consecutive match in which she has notched 40 assists.
Saturday night was senior night for the Bobcats, which were led by a pair of seniors, Robins and middle blocker Lexie Hartnett, who both notched 10 kills in the win.
“It’s awesome to have community support and to be honored for the four years we’ve been here,” Robins said.
The two matches this weekend were the final conference matches at home this season, as Ohio will hit the road for four matches the next two weekends before the MAC Tournament.
The Bobcats finished a perfect 8-0 against the MAC on their home court this year, and are 12-2 overall at home with one match remaining against Notre Dame at the end of November.
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