Oct. 29, 2005
Final Stats
ATHENS, Ohio--Despite a valiant road effort, Miami University's volleyball squad (15-8; 8-4 Mid-American Conference) was edged 28-30, 30-27, 31-29, 21-30, 10-15 by No. 21 Ohio University (22-2; 12-0 MAC) on Saturday evening.
It was the first five-game match of the season for the Bobcats, who won their 36th straight conference match (including MAC Tournament matches) and extended their home win streak to 36 straight, which is the nation's longest active streak in Division I.
Freshman middle hitter Emily Schroeder (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) amassed a career-high and 23 kills, which is the most by a RedHawk this season, to lead all players. Senior setter Megan Clark (Solon, Ohio/Solon) notched a career-high 71 assists, while senior libero Suzy Wolford (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) posted her eighth 20-dig effort of the season with 22 digs.
Ohio built a quick 4-1 lead in the first game, but kills by sophomore outside hitter Kate Norris (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) and Schroeder and a service ace from sophomore outside hitter Jeanna Staun (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) helped Miami claim a 5-4 lead. A sophomore middle hitter Carli Reihman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) service ace put the RedHawks up 14-10, and a kill by Schroeder would give the `Hawks a 15-11 lead, but the Bobcats crept back to knot the game, 20-20. Kills by Staun and Norris along with an Ohio attack error handed Miami the 23-20 edge, but the Bobcats would eventually come back to knot the game, 26-26 and 27-27. Another Schroeder kill gave Miami the 28-27 edge, however, a block by Stephanie Blackburn and Julia Winkfield and back-to-back Winkfield kills clinched the first game for the Bobcats, 30-28.
In the second game, Ohio built a 10-8 advantage before Miami went on a 6-0 surge to post the 14-10 lead. Staun started the RedHawk run with a kill and teamed up with Reihman on a block for the next Miami point. Reihman and Norris knocked down another block, before an Ohio attack error gave Miami its fourth point during the rally. Norris and Staun capped the string of RedHawk points with kills and forced an Ohio timeout. Miami eventually pushed its lead to 24-20 off a Reihman kill and a bad set by the Ohio setter. Consecutive kills by Ohio's Winkfield helped the Bobcats close within one of the RedHawks, 26-25, but kills by Schroeder and freshman outside hitter Alex Ratcliff (Champaign, Ill./Champaign Central) put the RedHawks up three, 28-25. Reihman knocked down the final two kills for Miami to help the RedHawks to the 30-27 game-two win. Miami hit a stellar .463 as a team in the second set.
After a 4-4 tie in the third game, Miami went on a 4-0 spurt off a kill and a service ace by Schroeder and two bad sets by Ohio. The Bobcats climbed back to tie the game, 12-12, off a Winkfield kill. Miami pushed its lead to 19-15 with help from two kills from Ratcliff and a block by Ratcliff and Clark. Ohio came back to tie the game, 22-22 and 23-23. Another Ratcliff/Clark block gave the RedHawks a one-point edge, 24-23, but the Bobcats' Amanda Andersen put down two kills and a Miami attack error put Ohio in front 26-24. A kill by Ratcliff and a solo block by Clark tied the game 26-26, and the teams would be tied 27-27, 28-28 and 29-29. Norris hammered the final two kills for the RedHawks in the 31-29 game-three win.
Miami was able to post an early 7-5 edge in the fourth game, but Ohio eventually posted a 19-14 lead off a Winkfield service ace. A block by Reihman and senior outside hitter Kristen Walters (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) pulled the RedHawks within three, 17-20, but the Bobcats went on 7-0 run, spurred by two kills and two solo blocks by Melissa Griffin, to notch a 27-17 lead. Miami would muster four more points, three coming off two kills by Walters and one kill from Schroeder, but Ohio went on to collect the 30-21 win in the fourth game.
Two kills by Norris and one from Reihman helped Miami to an early 4-2 lead in the fifth game. Miami took a 7-5 lead off kills by Schroeder and Ratcliff, but a bad set by Miami and an Andersen kill knotted the game, 7-7. An Ohio attack error gave the RedHawks the 8-7 edge, but the Bobcats went on a 5-0 spurt, highlighted by a Savanah Para service ace, to take the 12-8 lead. Staun stopped the Bobcat run with a kill for the RedHawks, but Ohio went on to collect the 15-10 game-five win off a kill by Blackburn.
Reihman tallied eight blocks and 14 kills for the RedHawks, while Ratcliff and Norris contributed 14 kills apiece. Clark tallied 13 digs and five blocks in addition to her 71 assists.
Ohio was led by Griffin with 21 kills and eight blocks, and Stephanie Blackburn with 20 kills. Michaele Blackburn led all players with 28 digs.
Miami returns home to host Bowling Green on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. and then hits the road for its final regular-season MAC road contest, playing at Northern Illinois at 7:05 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, Nov. 5.
