Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami Volleyball Team Falls In Five Games To Ohio
10/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Paced by Amber Merrill's (St. Louisville, Ohio/Licking Valley) 22 kills, 21 digs and five service aces, Ohio improved to 13-4 overall and 6-0 in the MAC. Miami dropped to 5-11 overall and 1-4 in conference action.
Robyn Byrnes (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) sparked the RedHawks with a career-best 23 digs.
Jumping out to an early 9-2 lead in the first game, Miami appeared to take control of the game. Ohio's offense, however, kicked into gear and rattled off 11 unanswered points to claim a 13-9 edge on the RedHawks. Miami regrouped and posted the final six points to take the first game 15-13. Jennifer Eaton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and Kelly McCullough (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) were strong down the final stretch, teaming up on blocks for the final two points of the game.
Ohio's Michelle Gil (San Diego, Calif./Poway) opened up game two with a service ace. The Bobcats went on a 5-0 run before Miami rattled off six straight points to take the 6-5 lead. A kill by McCullough and a service ace by Sara Uehlin (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) increased the Miami lead to three. Ohio returned the favor and took a 12-9 lead. Miami battled back to tie the game, 12-12, on a service ace by Erika Eagan (Bloomington, Ill./Tri-Valley). The RedHawks collected two more points and were within one point of capturing the game until Ohio bounced back to score the final four points of the game and even the match with a 16-14 win. A crucial ace by Ohio's Merrill tied the game, 14-14, and kill by Lori McColl (Glencoe, Ont./Glencoe) iced the second game for the Bobcats.
Miami took a 3-0 lead early in the third game. Ohio came back, scoring four straight points to claim a 4-3 edge. The two teams traded points and Ohio recorded a 6-5 lead off a Merrill kill. That, however, would be the last point for the Bobcats in the third stanza. Miami steadily placed points on the board, highlighted by a Byrnes' service ace to score Miami's 14th point. The 15-6 win gave the Red and White a 2-1 edge in the match.
Ohio dominated the first part of the fourth game, posting a 10-2 lead. Miami slowly climbed back into the game, closing the gap to 9-12. Capped by a McColl service ace, the Bobcats tallied the final three points to take game four, 15-9.
Errors were costly in the fifth game for Miami. Three consecutive attack errors by the RedHawks allowed Ohio to take a 3-0 lead. The two teams battled back and forth until Ohio's Kris Whitfield (Alameda, Sask./Oxbow Prairie Heights) delivered the final blow with a kill to win the match in rally scoring, 15-13.
Lee Ann Karr (Kirkwood, Mo./Kirkwood) led the RedHawks with 17 kills, while McCullough added 15 kills, 10 digs and five blocks. Eagan notched 10 kills, 10 digs, four blocks and two service aces, and Uehlin amassed 13 digs and two service aces.
McColl was the only other Bobcat to register in double digits for kills with 15. She also posted 15 digs, three blocks and two service aces.
