Fans packed The Convo to watch their Bobcats dominate the visiting Buffalo Bulls in three sets (25-16, 25-17, 25-16) to move to 3-0 overall in the MAC this season and 10-4 overall.
Ohio made its dominance known as it got out to a hot start in the first set with an early 8-2 lead with the help of three Buffalo errors. Ohio would extend its lead to as much as ten before finally winning the set, 25-16.
Ohio had to rally from behind in the second set as Buffalo jumped out to an early 6-1 lead before an Ohio timeout. From there, the Green and White went on a 13-5 run to take a three-point advantage and force a Bulls timeout.
Ohio was able to extend its lead to as much as eight and it would keep it there as it finished off the set with a 25-17 win and a 2-0 lead going into the intermission.
Set No. 3 was more of the same for the Bobcats. After both teams split the first six points, Ohio pulled away with an 8-1 run to go up by seven points and once again force a Buffalo timeout.
Ohio kept the Bulls from rallying as Buffalo could only cut its deficit to eight as Ohio’s Jaime Kosiorek delivered the final kill to give Ohio the victory in straight sets.
Kosiorek led Ohio with 11 kills as Kelly Lamberti also totaled double digit kills with 10. Lamberti finished just three digs away from a triple double as she finished with 13 assists and seven digs.
Meredith Ashy finished the game with a team-high 13 digs and Abby Gilleland led the team with 37 total assists.
Buffalo didn’t have a single player with double digit kills. Amber Hatchett led the way with nine kills and Megan Lin tied with two others for the team lead in digs with seven.
“For us it started with the serve,” Ohio coach Deane Webb said. “We saw them out of position and were able to take advantage of it.”
Ohio will finish off its weekend homestand as it will welcome in division rival Akron (7-11, 1-2 MAC) to The Convo on Saturday night.
