March 28, 2006

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio volleyball team, fresh off a third straight Mid-American Conference title and a trip to the Sweet 16, will compete in four spring tournaments, hosting one.

The Bobcats advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to highlight the finest season in program history. Ohio won a school record 33 games, which tied for the most in the nation, and finished 14th in the final CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Poll last season.

Head coach Geoff Carlston, who received his third MAC Coach of the Year honor and second Mideast Region Coach of the Year award a year ago, returns 13 of 15 players from last year's squad. Four of those players - Stephanie Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio), Savanah Parra (Temecula, Calif.), Melissa Griffin (Whitehall, Mich.) and Amanda Andersen (Lino Lakes, Minn.) - earned All-MAC recognition with Ohio's all-time digs leader Michaele Blackburn (Cincinnati, Ohio) also returning.

The spring schedule kicks off April 1 at Volleyfest 2006 in Toledo, Ohio. The tourney will be held at the Synergy Sports and Fitness. For more information regarding the event, contact Kyle Walton at 419-537-0001.

The Bobcats will compete in the Cincinnati Spring Tournament, hosted by the University of Cincinnati, April 8. The invite will be held at Fifth Third Arena on the Cincinnati campus.

Ohio will host the Ohio Spring Volleyball Tournament April 15 starting at 10 a.m. in the Convocation Center. The Bobcats welcome Charleston, Findlay and West Virginia State to the one-day tourney.

The Bobcats will conclude the spring schedule with a trip to Chicago to compete in the 2006 Great Lakes College Spring Tournament April 22. The tourney, which includes top-tier programs like Arizona, Minnesota, Purdue, Texas and Wisconsin, will be held at the Great Lakes Sports Center. For further information, contact Joe Jablonski at 630-898-6400.