After a strong performance in its Bobcat Invitational last week, Ohio carried most of its momentum into the North Texas Tournament this weekend and won two of three matches against New Mexico, Kansas State and North Texas. The Bobcats finished their non-conference schedule with seven wins out of the last eight matches.
Ohio swept New Mexico
The Bobcats extended their streak of sweeps to four matches to open the weekend and defeated New Mexico 3-0 (26-24, 25-23, 25-22) on Thursday. Tia Jimerson led the attack for Ohio with 13 kills on a .400 hitting percentage. Shayla Phillip also played a big role with nine kills and a .583 hitting percentage.
The Bobcats best period was the third set, where they had a .270 hitting percentage. Phillip finished it off with a kill to win the match as Ohio won its 14th straight set.
In the Bobcats’ four sweeps, they outscored their opponents 301-241, and they had an average of a .212 hitting percentage as a team.
Vera Giacomazzi proved too much for Kansas State
Ohio won its seventh straight match, the longest streak since 2015, on Friday behind junior setter Vera Giacomazzi’s program-record 74 assists. She powered the Bobcats to a .304 hitting percentage in the 3-2 (28-26, 20-25, 27-25, 22-25, 15-12) win against Kansas State.
Giacomazzi spread the ball evenly as five different Bobcats finished the match with double-digit kills. Senior Lizzie Stephens led Ohio with 20 kills, but Jimerson, who has been dominant since her return from injury, had 19 of her own.
Defense fell short against North Texas
The Bobcats’ win streak ended on Saturday after they were swept by host North Texas. Ohio couldn’t find a rhythm defensively as it lost 3-0 (21-25, 20-25, 21-25). North Texas dominated from the start and had a .417 hitting percentage in the first set and finished with a .374 hitting percentage in the match overall.
Jimerson was the only bright spot for Ohio with she had 14 kills and a .522 hitting percentage. She will continue to become an even larger presence for the Bobcats as she becomes healthier.
What’s next
Ohio begins Mid-American Conference play at home against Bowling Green on Friday and Miami on Saturday.
