Ohio (12-8, 6-3 Mid-American Conference) will go on the road to face off against Akron (5-15, 2-7 MAC) this weekend. Ohio is officially midway through its conference slate, and it is right in the thick of the race for a spot in the MAC tournament.
The Bobcats are currently tied for third with two other teams in the MAC at 6-3. As is stand, the Bobcats would easily make the six team tournament, but they don't have much of a margin for error.
Right behind the three-team pack at 6-3 are Western Michigan and Central Michigan, who both have a 5-4 record in the MAC. The next closest team has a record of 3-6, so unless something wildly unexpected happens, there will be seven teams competing for six MAC tournament spots.
The Bobcats can take a huge step towards the MAC tournament with two wins over the Zips.
Match Information
Opponent: Akron
Date and time: Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at 4 p.m.
In all likelihood, the Zips will not be a huge factor in the MAC Tournament race. They started the season with five straight losses before picking up two wins in the Akron Invitational. The Zips proceeded to lose their first three conference matches, and are currently sitting at 2-7 in conference play. Although the Zips have struggled this season, they should not be overlooked. The Zips are coming off of one of their best performances of the year, a sweep over the Golden Flashes. As bad as the Zips' record looks, most of their struggles have come on the road, and at home they have a respectable 3-4 record.
History:
Over the last 18 years, the Bobcats have mainly capitalized when they play the Zips. The Bobcats are 26-3 against the Zips since 2004. Recently however, the Zips have been much more competitive in the series. The two teams split the two matches they played against each other last season, and going back to 2020 the Zips have won two of the last three matches against the Bobcats
Player to watch:
Teagan Ochaya
The Zips' redshirt senior has been their best player since the beginning of the season. Ochaya won MAC East Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in the first week of the season. Since then Ochaya has continued her efforts on offense and defense, ranking second on the team in kills and sixth in digs.
