The Bobcats enter the weekend with confidence after sweeping Buffalo 3-0 (25-14, 25-13, 25-20) yet again in The Convo. The Bobcats (4-2, 4-2 Mid-American Conference) are now 42-5 against Buffalo (0-8, 0-8 Mid-American Conference) since the Bulls joined the Mid-American Conference in 1998.
Here are the initial reactions to Ohio’s 3-0 win against Buffalo:
Starting a set off strong
In sets one and two, Ohio built strong leads that gave it the adrenaline necessary to make plays and win by significant point differentials. The Bobcats wasted no time in the first set, getting off to an early 6-1 lead. In the blink of an eye, their lead was 12-2. Ohio kept its lead for the whole time and won the set 25-14. Ohio’s strong starts were mainly powered by its key offensive players: Lauren Park, Caitlin O’Farrell, Mariana Rodrigues and Maggie Nedoma.
The defense is improving
There was a lot of improvement defensively for the Bobcats on Friday. The Bobcats looked stronger around the net, and they defended their side of the court well. The Bulls blocked a lot of Ohio’s attacks Thursday, but the Bobcats returned the favor Friday by stopping a good portion of the Bulls kill attempts. The defensive specialists also worked hard to get more coverage behind Ohio’s blocks, which proved to help them keep plays alive and earn more points on long volleys.
Tia Jimerson is still out
For the second day in a row, Tia Jimerson was forced to sit out of Ohio’s match. The extent of her injury is still unknown, but Ohio is trying to fill the hole that Jimerson’s absence has left in the lineup.
