Ohio played arguably one of its worst matches all season. Communication on the court just wasn’t there for the Bobcats as they fell to Eastern Michigan 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-18) in the Eagles’s Convocation Center on Monday. In set two, the Bobcats were in it the whole time but just couldn’t finish out the match. In sets one and three, The Bobcats fell behind early but were unable to bounce back, giving the Eagles the win. Here are the numbers to know from Ohio’s 3-0 loss:
0
Ohio middle blocker Tia Jimerson was held to zero kills in the first set against Eastern Michigan Monday. This is unusual for Jimerson, who before Monday averaged 3.14 kills per set. Eastern Michigan’s defense knows that when the block is not there, Jimerson is a threat. The Eagles worked extra hard in the first set, and throughout the match to stop Jimerson at the net. Jimerson finished the match with five kills, which is the lowest she has had in a match this season.
22
Sure, the Bobcats were aggressive, but they may have been a little too aggressive against the Eagles. Ohio struggled to keep their attacks inside the court, causing them to rack up 22 attack errors in three sets. Often times, the Bobcats would jump into their approach, but fail to snap their wrists, causing the ball to fly out of bounds and giving Eastern Michigan the point.
.079
Ohio finished the match with a hitting percentage of .079, the lowest hitting percentage the Bobcats have had all season. Ohio’s offensive weapons really struggled on Monday. Lauren Park led the Bobcats with only 10 kills, followed by Caitlin O’Farrell who only had six and Tia Jimerson who only had five.
3
Ohio has five losses this season, three of which were on the road. Some teams are able to pull off long win streaks on the road, but Ohio plays much better at home in The Convo where they are comfortable. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, five of their next nine games are on the road. Ohio will look to pull off a road win Friday when they travel to Oxford, Ohio, to face off against the RedHawks.
