Nov. 4, 2007

Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio. - The No. 16 Ohio volleyball team handed Bowling Green its first home loss of the season Sunday afternoon, defeating the Falcons 3-0 (30-25, 30-28, 32-30) on senior day at Anderson Arena. Ohio improves to 13-1 in the Mid-American Conference and 21-4 overall, while Bowling Green falls to 10-4 in the MAC and 19-9 overall.

Bowling Green entered the match with a 12-0 record at home, but the Falcons were unable to slow a surging Ohio team that has now won 11 straight matches.

After breaking the Ohio career kills record Saturday, senior middle blocker Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich.) once again led the Bobcat attack, finishing with a team-high 16 kills (.278) and adding four blocks. Ohio sophomore outside hitter Ellen Herman (Toledo, Ohio) totaled 11 kills (.219) and sophomore middle blocker Jane Sytsma (Madison, Wis.) had an efficient match with eight kills (.583) and a match-high five blocks in the victory.

In the first game, Ohio used a 5-1 run to take an 18-12 lead and control of the game. The lead grew to as many as nine at 28-19, before Bowling Green fought off four game-points to bring the score to 29-25. Herman connected a kill to end the short spurt and give Ohio the 1-0 lead.

Ohio outhit Bowling Green .283 to .239 in the second game en route to a 30-28 win. The Bobcats led the entire game and withstood a late Bowling Green rally to hold on for the win. Ohio held its largest lead at 28-22, when the Falcons went on a 6-1 run to cut Ohio's lead to 29-28. Griffin and Sytsma ended the rally, blocking Kendra Halm's attack attempt to give Ohio a 2-0 lead.

The Bobcats led 17-12 in the third game, but Bowling Green came back and nearly extended the match. The Falcons tied the game at 24-24, when two straight kills from Griffin followed by a service ace from senior outside hitter Stephanie Blackburn, (Cincinnati, Ohio) put the Bobcats in front by three. Bowling Green once again rallied back, tying the game three more times, the last being at 30-30. Ohio finally ended the comeback attempt and the match, as Blackburn landed a kill, followed by a kill from sophomore middle blocker Meghan Simons (Lancaster, Ohio), giving Ohio the 32-30 win.

Blackburn was held to four kills in the match on a .125 hitting percentage, but the senior co-captain found other ways to contribute to the Bobcat win. Blackburn totaled 10 digs, two blocks and tied a career-high with five service aces.

Ohio freshman setter Michelle Jantsch (Mission Hills, Kansas) continued her solid play with a match-high 32 assists and eight digs and senior libero Janice Matacic (Liberty Township, Ohio) collected a match-high and season-high 15 digs in the victory.

For the match, the Bobcats out-hit Bowling Green .244 to .221.

Kendra Halm led the Bowling Green attack with 19 kills on a .586 hitting percentage.

Ohio now holds a two-match lead over Miami in the East Division standings with a 13-1 conference mark.

Next week Ohio returns to the Convocation for its final two conference regular season matches of the season. Ohio plays host to Kent State on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. and then Saturday, Nov. 10, Ohio takes on Central Michigan on "Senior Night" at 7 p.m.

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Wes Liles is the volleyball contact in the Ohio media relations office. He can be reached via email at liles@ohio.edu.