Now weeks into the academic year, Ohio’s fall seasons are in full swing. Four teams saw action this past weekend, coming away with a combined record of 3-4 on the weekend. That being said, only one of the four teams was under .500 during the stretch, marking stretches of dominance for the other three.
Here’s everything you need to know from the weekend.
Football
Ohio is above .500 for the first time this season after a win against Morgan State at home Saturday evening. The Bobcats were aided by an incredible defensive performance that saw the opposing offense score no touchdowns. Ohio would go on to win 21-6.
Blake Leake and Kadin Schmitz each had incredible showings from the linebacker position. Leake led the team with 12 tackles, while Schmitz came up big in some critical situations, including 1.5 sacks.
Parker Navarro, the Ohio quarterback, is looking to bounce back after a rough showing Saturday, throwing for three interceptions. Navarro did not play in the second half after a poor showing.
Transfers Coleman Owen and Anthony Tyus were once again bright spots on the offense. Owen tallied 112 receiving yards, his second game with 100-plus yards this season. Tyus was credited for two of Ohio’s touchdowns, his fourth and fifth of the year. Tyus leads the team in touchdowns so far this season.
Soccer
The reigning Mid-American Conference Champions continued to surge as Ohio finished its non-conference schedule with a record of 5-1-1. Over the weekend, the Bobcats rattled off two wins in dominant fashion, outsourcing its duo of opponents 9-to-1.
The dominant weekend started with a 2-1 victory against Western Kentucky. During the weekend, Ohio conceded its first goal since Aug. 25 against No. 8 Michigan State. Jaimason Brooker and Anna Burchett each scored for Ohio in the game. Brooker now leads Ohio in points with 9 after a weekend of a goal and two assists.
The second matchup of the weekend was a 7-0 shutout against Oakland Sunday. The Bobcats dominated in all facets, totaling 31 shots to their opponent’s seven, 13 of those shots being on goal. Ohio got two goals from forwards Aubrey Rea and Sania Dearing.
Ohio will start its MAC schedule this week with matchups against Western Michigan Thursday and Northern Illinois Sunday. The former will be in Athens, Ohio, at Chessa Field while the latter will be in DeKalb, Illinois.
Volleyball
Volleyball was the sole team to finish under at least .500 on the weekend, as it faced a gauntlet in Los Angeles at the SoCal Cup. Ohio finished the weekend 0-3, with matchups against Loyola Marymount, No. 23 USC and Utah State, winning five total sets.
A bright spot throughout the weekend for Ohio was sophomore outside hitter Kam Hunt, who recorded a new career high in kills with 27 against Loyola Marymount in a competitive five-set loss. Hunt led the Bobcats in kills in all three matches, with another 20-kill performance against Utah State. Hunt totaled 59 kills on the weekend.
In the second match, Ohio looked to be competitive, with an opening set win against its first ranked opponent on the season, No. 23 USC. However, the Bobcats were unable to take another set, falling 1-3. Against Utah State, the team would compete for five sets, but would inevitably fall, ending the weekend on the wrong end of a sweep.
Field Hockey
The Bobcats finished 1-1 on the weekend with two vastly different performances, representative of their 3-3 record on the season. It has been a rhythmic series of wins and losses for Ohio thus far in the season, with an 0-6 loss to No. 10 Michigan in Ann Arbor Thursday, followed by a 5-1 win at home against Saint Louis Sunday.
Against Michigan, Ohio was completely outmatched, being outshot 24 to six and outshot on goal 16 to two. It was a quick bounce back; however, as three days later, Ohio would get back to even on the season against Saint Louis. The Bobcats benefited from goals from five different players, including Natalie LaFleur, who has been the team’s most consistent offensive weapon thus far.
