Ohio (3-5) had a rough weekend on the West Coast, losing all three matches to LMU (6-2), No. 23 USC (5-2) and Utah State (2-6). Ohio will seek redemption at home next weekend to break its losing streak after three long matches in Los Angeles.
Match One (LMU)
The Bobcats would fall to the Lions after a grueling five sets. While both teams would display similar offensive and defensive stats, Ohio struggled with service aces, totaling one to LMU’s 12. Kam Hunt was a standout, scoring a career-high 27 kills, which was over double the kills of any other player during the match.
In its longest set this season, Ohio fell short at the end of set one, 27-29. Despite an early lead and staying ahead the majority of the game, the Lions would close the gap at set point for the Bobcats with a comeback from 24-21.
Ohio answered in set two, pulling ahead and remaining at a relatively comfortable lead all the way to set point. A four-point service run from Delfina Schuh would bring the Lions back into close range, but the Bobcats would escape from their grasp. A block from Hunt would end set two in favor of Ohio 25-21.
Set three would go similarly for Ohio after taking a runaway lead of 11-3 at the start. Anna Kharchynska would show incredible effort at the net, with three kills in a row to pull ahead even further. The Bobcats would eventually lead the Lions by 10 nearing set point and would go on to win the set 25-16.
The fourth set would turn the match in favor of LMU, despite being neck-and-neck for parts of the match. A service run from the Lion’s Mia Schafer would put them ahead 18-20. The Bobcats would tie, but ultimately lose the match after letting the lead slip away.
The final set would display exhaustion from Ohio, as LMU quickly pounced on an early three-point lead. After switching sides, the Lions would run away with the victory, ending the match 10-15.
Match Two (No. 23 USC):
Ohio’s matchup against the Big Ten powerhouse that is USC despite ending in a loss, would display resilience and effort from the Bobcats. USC’s offense at the net would rack up a high number of kills, totaling 60 at the end of the game as opposed to Ohio’s 46. The Trojan’s Ally Batenhorst, an outside hitter towering at 6-foot-5, would lead the game in kills with 17.
The first set would be the only set the Bobcats take from the Trojans, in a close race where Ohio would answer nearly every point. Service errors would cost the team five points, but Hunt once again stepped up to continue to score for Ohio. Kharchynska would close out the set with a kill to end 25-23.
The Trojans came back with full force for set two, and a series of attack errors from the Bobcats would put them behind 4-7. USC would proceed with an additional point run, scoring six points in a row to put them ahead more than double Ohio’s points. The Bobcats would trail the remainder of the set to its end at 17-25.
Set three would pan out to be closer, as Ohio would look to close the point gap early on. The Bobcats’ libero, Kendall Hickey, would put the team ahead during a service run for a brief moment. Ohio would reach set point at a comfortable lead of 24-21, but USC would not let the set out of sight and came back on a five-point run to win the set 24-26.
The fourth set would display incredible stamina from both teams. USC would take an early lead because of a combination of service aces and kills from its offense. Ohio would trail behind and take a small lead nearing set point, where the set would proceed to tie 11 more times. Although they were close, the Bobcats would lose the match 27-29.
Match Three (Utah State):
In another unfortunate five-set match for Ohio, the team would display good numbers on offense and defense, leading in kills, blocks and assists. Ultimately, it would not be enough to take down Utah State in a race of close sets. Hunt and Kharchynska would have another impressive game offensive-wise, scoring 20 and 19 kills respectively. Hunt would close the weekend with nearly 60 kills.
The first set would be a series of rallies back and forth, where Ohio seemed to take control of the set from the beginning. Chariti McKeller would have an impressive game in both assists and services, where a serving run from her would put Ohio ahead early. Utah State pulled ahead after a number of Ohio errors, which would eventually lose the set, 23-25.
The Bobcats blasted off immediately in set two with a 5-0 run to put them ahead. With a similar back-and-forth to set one, this would turn in Ohio’s favor as its early lead secured its spot for the rest of the set to end 25-23.
The Aggies would take the early lead for set three and set the tone. The Bobcats chased them down despite a significant point deficit at 15-23. A five-point run wouldn’t be enough to catch Utah State as it took set three 20-25.
Caroline Curran would serve the Bobcats into the lead at the beginning of set four, followed by four kills in a row from Emily Waddell for a score of 11-6. The Aggies would continue to trail the entire set as a fire was lit under Ohio. A four-point run would be an attempt to close the gap for Utah State, but Ohio closed out before catching it, 25-22.
The final set would start in great favor of Ohio, as it began with a comfortable 7-1 lead. The Bobcats, however, would let the match slip away after a service run from the Aggies’ Kate Lijic, putting them back into winning range. Utah State’s energy carried it to the end on a six-point run and ended up taking the match 14-16.
