Ohio didn’t truly know if its season would be over following the finish of its loss against Bowling Green Saturday. The team would still have a chance, albeit a slim one, depending on the result of Toledo’s match against Kent State.
Had Ohio won either of its two matches in its final series, a postseason spot would have been secured without the dramatics. However, after fighting back to force a fifth set against the Mid-American Conference’s top seed, Ohio couldn’t secure the win, and as Toledo obliterated the MAC’s bottom seed, Kent State, the 2024 season came to a close.
Ohio finished its conference schedule with a 10-8 record, the same as Toledo. However, with a split head-to-head series, Ohio’s worse overall record of 14-15 gave Toledo the sixth seed.
That said, Ohio leaves fans with a lot to look forward to in 2025, a year that will feature Ohio coach Geoff Carlston’s first roster made up of only players he’s recruited.
Carlston’s first three classes have been excellent. His first since returning to Ohio features juniors Anna Kharchynska, Chariti McKellar and Leah Rogers.
Kharchynska had a stellar season, leading the MAC in kills and points with 436 and 492.5, respectively. McKellar provided steady setting as one-half of the team’s productive duo of distributors with 428 assists, averaging 5.16 per set.
The sophomores are where Ohio got the majority of its production, a group of seven players. Kam Hunt was the Bobcats’ other headliner alongside Kharchynska, ranking second in the MAC in kills and points with 424 and 469.5, respectively.
The group featured three other consistent starters: libero Kendall Hickey and middle blockers Emily Waddell and Olivia Gardner. Hickey led the team in digs with 4.08 per set, the sixth-highest mark in the conference. Waddell and Gardner were consistent factors on both sides of the net, as Gardner was third on the team in kills with 199 while Waddell ranked fourth on the team in blocks with 44.
Ohio's freshmen were one of the team’s most exciting groups. Outside hitter and defensive specialist Darbi Ricketts and setter Bryn Janke were consistent starters and made names for themselves on the court.
Ricketts was one of the team’s most versatile players, ranking first on the team in service aces, second in digs, fifth in kills and fifth in points. Janke led the team in assists with 623, the ninth-best mark in the MAC. Rounding out the group of four is outside hitter Sierra Evans and setter Lexi Grissett, who showed talent in limited play.
In 2025, Ohio will be without the contributions of Elizabeth Hoerlein and Makenna Schafer, who are both graduating. Hoerlein was the team’s most common option at middle blocker between Kharchynska and Hunt, ranking fourth in kills and second in blocks with the seventh-best hitting percentage in the conference.
Schafer had her best season as a senior, tallying 61 of her 95 career kills. As Ohio attempted to limit Kharchynska and Hunt’s swings late in the season, Schafer stepped up big, recording a career-high 18 kills against Central Michigan.
Although Ohio’s finish was a disappointment given the program’s long-standing standard for success, another year of growth for the team’s immensely talented and productive core should give fans reason for excitement. Carlston and the Bobcats will only be looking at improvement in 2025.
