Ohio (6-9, 2-2 Mid-American Conference) travels to Kalamazoo after a bitter-tasting weekend against Toledo to play Western Michigan (5-10, 1-3 MAC) and Northern Illinois (2-12, 0-4 MAC) Thursday and Friday.
Ohio coach Geoff Carlston emphasized the importance of strengthening the Bobcats’ defense and finishing sets strong after the results of the past weekend. Players like Bryn Janke and Elizabeth Horlein are coming back from a strong weekend, and the team looks to regroup on what looks to be a promising couple of matches before fall break.
Game Information
Opponent(s): Western Michigan and Northern Illinois
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Time(s): Thursday 6 p.m., Friday 7 p.m.
Where to watch: ESPN+
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History
Ohio has a long-established history with Western Michigan, playing a total of 25 matches against each other. The Bobcats have won a vast majority of them at 16, although their last matchup ended in a loss after five sets. With Western’s home record boasting an 8-4 record, it’s safe to say Ohio still has a tough match ahead.
Similarly, Ohio has won most of its matches against Northern Illinois, sporting a 12-8 record against it. The Huskies fell to the Bobcats in four sets last October.
Player to watch (Western Michigan): Logan Case
Western’s fifth-year setter sports a whopping 618 assists for the season, more than 14 times the team’s runner-up in assists. Despite being only 5-foot-8, Case has racked up 12 blocks for the year and six service aces, making her a versatile weapon for Western. Ohio will need to strike aggressively after seeing these numbers to keep the ball from the setter’s hands.
Player to watch (Northern Illinois): Ava Grevengoed
Although it’s her first year with the Huskies, Grevengoed has already topped both the kill and service ace leaderboards with 180 and 25 respectively. The outside hitter has a killer arm and plenty of room to grow over the years with Northern Illinois. Ohio needs to put the block up and anticipate in-serve receive.
