Ohio (8-7, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) will take a trip up north as it searches for its first MAC road win of the season against Central Michigan (10-5, 3-1 MAC) and Eastern Michigan (1-15, 0-4 MAC). Every conference match is difficult, and Ohio's match against Central Michigan will be no exception, luckily for Ohio, Eastern Michigan should be a bit of a step down in competition.
Regardless of the Bobcats' opponent, they know they will have to play well to come up with their first win on the road.
Match 1
Opponent: Central Michigan
Time: Thursday, 6 p.m.
Ohio didn't play well enough to take down MAC powerhouse Bowling Green in either of their first road games of the season. The Chippewas may not have had the preseason expectations that the Falcons did, but they have still had a very successful start to their season. The Chippewas started the season by nearly winning the Tiger Brawl and winning the Billiken Invitational. Like the Bobcats, the Chippewas competed in the Bulldog Brawl, and won one of three matches in the tournament, with the win coming against host school Butler.
History
Since 2010, the Bobcats have played well against the Chippewas. The Bobcats won eight matches against the Chippewas to only four losses. One of those wins came last year when the Bobcats took down the Chippewas in five sets. Thursday's match will be the Bobcats' first match on the road against the Chippewas since 2016, when the Bobcats lost in five sets.
Player to watch: Natalia Rejment
Although Rejment is only a freshman, she has already become an impact player for the Chippewas. Rejment is third on the team in both kills and digs. Her 22 service aces are the most on the team, and she also has contributed with eight assists.
Match 2
Opponent: Eastern Michigan
Time: Friday, 6 p.m.
The Eagles have had a brutal start to their season, through 16 matches they have only managed to win once. Eastern Michigan's one win came against Radford in the Liberty Invitational. The Eagles are winless in MAC play through four matches, and are also winless at home through two matches.
History
The Bobcats have been dominant against the Eagles since 2004. The Bobcats have won 12 of their last 15 matches against the Eagles. Recently, however, the Bobcats have struggled against the Eagles, and are currently on a three-match losing streak in the series. Last year the Bobcats fell in five sets to the Eagles at home. The Bobcats haven't played the Eagles on the road since 2019, where they split the two-match series.
Player to watch: Raeven Chase
Chase was the only member of the team to make the All-MAC preseason team. The Eagles' fifth year senior is second on the team in kills, but makes the biggest difference on the defensive end. Chase has a team leading 58 blocks, including 10 total blocks in the season opener against Louisiana.
