Since losing its Mid-American Conference opener last weekend, Ohio has won nine consecutive sets and is in the midst of a three-match winning streak, all against MAC opponents.
Ohio (8-8, 3-1 MAC), which has not lost to Eastern Michigan since 2001, swept the Eagles (11-9, 1-3) in straight sets Saturday at The Convo.
“Eastern Michigan is a model of consistency and we were able to take them out of their comfort zone,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis.
In the first set, the Eagles took an early 7-3 advantage, but when Ohio junior setter Mollie Geske stepped to the service line, the Bobcats rallied for nine straight points and did not trail the remainder of the set.
Ohio carried its momentum into the second set, where it did not trail and coasted to a 25-17 victory heading into intermission.
The Bobcats were a force at the net the entire match, recording 49 kills and 11 rejections against the Eagles.
Sophomore outside hitters Kelly Lamberti and Chelsea Bilger were the two major contributors at the net, as they each scored 15.5 points and killed the ball 14 times.
Lamberti also logged her second double-double in as many matches with an additional 14 digs, while Bilger’s kill total was her season-high.
“I think that Kelly and I really try to push each other during matches and we both try really hard,” Bilger said. “We’re finally figuring out what we want to do as a team and are trying to step it up for conference play.”
Redshirt junior middle blocker Lexie Hartnett also stood out for the Bobcats, leading the team with seven rejections, while senior outside hitter Faith Robins and sophomore middle blocker Serena Warner added five and four, respectively.
Ohio holds a 6-2 record at The Convo, with its lone losses coming against Oregon and Kentucky, which were both nationally ranked at the time. The Bobcats will continue their homestand next weekend with two more home matches.
“I thought we played Kentucky and Oregon very well at home and the rest of the matches have been sweeps,” Theis said. “I talked to the team yesterday and we want to own this gym and keep pumping out wins at home.”
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