Ohio opened the season Friday and Saturday in Alabama, taking part in the Courtyard by Marriott Invitational. The Bobcats had a great invitational, finishing with a 3-0 record, including wins over two teams that made the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Career Milestone for Kosiorek
In the first match of the season, a three-game sweep of Murray State, Jaime Kosiorek scored her 1,000th career kill in the third game.
“To do it in my first match of my senior year, everything is going in a good direction,” Kosiorek said. “To achieve that milestone with the whole season ahead of me is really exciting."
In the win, she recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 15 digs.
Kosiorek is a redshirt senior and a captain. The 1,000th kill is not likely to be the only record she breaks this season.
Freshmen Impact
Tia Jimerson, a freshman middle blocker, was impressive and productive in her collegiate debut. Jimerson tallied 29 kills and posted a .490 hitting percentage.
Vera Giacomazzi, a freshman setter from Italy, did most of the setting duties for the Bobcats over the weekend. She tallied 123 assists to go along with four kills in 10 attacks.
Five Set Thriller
In the second match of the day Friday, the Bobcats faced Samford, the host of the invitational. After winning the first set, the Bobcats dropped the second before taking the third and losing the fourth. The deciding fifth set was a 15-10 victory for Ohio.
The win marked the first test of the season for the Bobcats, a team that started three freshman.
"I'm glad we got pushed," coach Deane Webb said. "That's what I told the team. If we go and sweep every match, it's a lot of fun, but you don't necessarily get better. I love that we were challenged by a good team.”
After starting 3-0, the Bobcats will next travel to Dayton to face the Dayton Flyers on Tuesday. Dayton is a perennial NCAA Tournament team, having made the tournament in 12 of the last 14 seasons, and the Bobcats will have their toughest test to date.
