There were many positives in Ohio’s sweep against Kent State but the key takeaway from the game was Caitlin O’Farrell’s efficient 14-kill performance.
O’Farrell had her most efficient game of the season as she took control of the game, making highlight-reel kills. The graduate student put on a showcase against the Golden Flashes, as her performance helped Ohio start a conference-winning streak as it now sits at 2-1 in the Mid-American Conference.
The middle-blocker started off the night with three kills in the first set, which was only a preview of what was to come.
O’Farrell took off in the second, recording seven kills which helped Ohio separate itself from Kent State. O’Farrell seemed to thrive at any position Coach Geoff Carlston put her in, whether it was in the middle or on the outside, O’Farrell looked unstoppable.
Although O’Farrell’s number of kills went down in the concluding set, she got the job done when it mattered most. The Golden Flashes were forced to put extra help on O’Farrell during the third set, who helped her teammates get some decisive kills. To cap off a marvelous game, O’Farrell had the penultimate kill to put the bow on top of Ohio’s first sweep since Aug. 26.
“A lot of it (O’Farrell’s success) has to do with the passing. Tria and I have always had a great connection,” O’Farrell said. “It just makes it easy.”
O’Farrell made her presence known even when the biggest plays weren’t manufactured by her. She showed that she had nothing but praise for her teammate MaKenna Schafer who has been stepping up recently.
“(Schafer) is the most energetic on our team, always brings the energy and I’m excited that she gets to show it on the court.”
O’Farrell was then asked about Buffalo, the team's next opponent. Ohio is looking for redemption as the last time they played Buffalo, the team was knocked out of the MAC tournament.
“It’s not about getting revenge necessarily, but come back and prove that we can beat them,” O’Farrell said. “They’re one of the top teams in the MAC so a win would be very important to us”
Ohio, led by Cailin O’Farrell, will look to extend its winning streak this weekend as the team will travel to Buffalo for some critical games that could shake up the MAC standings.
