Sept. 29, 2007

Box Score |  Bowling Green Match Photo Gallery 

ATHENS, Ohio - The 17th-ranked Ohio volleyball team bounced back from its first conference loss in four seasons by defeating Bowling Green 3-0 (30-21, 30-18, 30-20) in front of a school-record crowd of 3,689 at the Convocation Center. Ohio (11-4, 3-1) played great defensively, holding Bowling Green (10-7, 2-2) to a .078 hitting percentage, while connecting on a .340 hitting percentage to win in straight games.

The attendance at the match shatters Ohio's previous record of 2,036 set on Nov. 11, 2006.

Senior co-captains Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich.) and Stephanie Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) each posted double-digit kills to lead the Bobcat attack. Griffin finished with 11 kills on a .526 hitting percentage and four total blocks and Blackburn had a match-high 12 kills (.385), 11 digs and four total blocks for her ninth double-double of the season. Ohio also received significant contributions from sophomore middle blocker Jane Sytsma (Madison, Wis.) and junior middle blocker Amanda Andersen (Lino Lakes, Minn.). Sytsma totaled nine kills (.500) and a season-high seven total blocks, while Andersen posted seven kills on 11 swings for a .455 hitting percentage.

Junior Jill DeArmond (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and freshman Michelle Jantsch (Mission Hills, Kansas) shared time at setter, with DeArmond recording 21 assists and Jantsch 20. Jantsch also added seven digs in the victory.

Ohio took the first game 30-21 by limiting Bowling Green to a -.030 hitting percentage. The Falcons landed just nine kills on 33 swings and committed 10 attack errors in the game. Ohio had 16 kills in the game on a .235 hitting percentage, paced by Sytsma and sophomore outside hitter Ellen Herman (Toledo, Ohio). Sytsma had five kills on nine attacks in the game and Herman collected four of her five match-kills on a .286 hitting percentage.

In the second game the Bobcats fell behind for the first time in the match. Bowling Green held a brief one point lead on six occasions, but Ohio refused to allow the narrow deficit to grow any larger. Trailing 6-5, Ohio ran off six straight points, fueled by kills from Blackburn, Andersen and sophomore middle blocker Meghan Simons (Lancaster, Ohio). The Bobcats went on to win 12 of the next 17 points to take a 17-11 advantage. Bowling Green trimmed the margin to 20-16, but Ohio won 10 of the final 12 points to take the game 30-18 and a 2-0 lead.

Ohio took a 5-1 advantage in game three and never relinquished the lead en route to a 30-20 victory. Blackburn and Griffin each had five kills in the game as the Bobcats out-hit the Falcons .310 to .174.

The Bobcats next play at Kent State on Thursday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.