Sitting in second place in the MAC East, the 'Hawks will take on third place Kent State Friday night, and first place Ohio University Saturday evening.
After seeing their nine-match winning streak snapped at Bowling Green State University last weekend, the Miami University volleyball team returns home to Millett Hall to take on Kent State University Friday night and No. 16 Ohio University Saturday night.
Miami sports a 10-2 Mid-American Conference (MAC) record, and currently sits in second place in the MAC East ahead of Kent State, but trails first place Ohio by one match.
The Ohio Bobcats will be looking for revenge against the RedHawks, who snapped their 52-match MAC winning streak Sept. 28-Ohio's first MAC loss since Nov. 8, 2003.
According to Miami senior Carli Reihman, the 'Hawks are just focusing on taking the matches as they come-and are preparing for Friday's matchup against the Golden Flashes, who have a MAC record of 10-2.
"We are preparing for one match at a time, and right now our minds are on Kent State," Reihman said.
Throughout this past week of practice Miami has been preparing a game plan to take down both of their weekend opponents. The team is implementing new defensive strategies and watching film to gain a better understanding of their opponents, according to Head Coach Carolyn Condit.
"This past week we've been studying our opponent's tendencies," Condit said. "We are working on controlling the game through our defense."
With wins over Kent State and Ohio, Miami would put itself in a good position to win the MAC regular season championship.
"We would like to win the conference," Condit said. "We have the depth and experience to do it."
The team's success so far this season stems from its improvement on both sides of the net.
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"We have improved on our blocking, and we are serving better on offense," Condit said, adding that Miami's strong hitting and rigid conditioning has also paid off greatly so far this season.
"We have an arsenal of hitters that contribute to our offensive success," she said. "Our hard work in the weight room has really paid off as well."
Reihman and junior Emily Schroeder have supplied the RedHawks powerful attacks, averaging just over three kills a match.
While offense is where the RedHawks score points, defense has been the overriding theme for Miami this season, according to Condit. The team is incorporating new defensive sets to help them better control the match. They are also working on anticipating the movements of their opponents.
"High hands and blocking at the net are always a point of emphasis," Condit said. "But we are also working on rotating on defense and predicting our opponent's next move."
Not only will this weekend's matches establish who is the top dog in the MAC East, but Saturday is also senior night. Seniors Reihman and Jeanna Staun will be honored Saturday night in the last home match of their Miami careers.
However, Reihman is remaining focused on the match.
"We are focused on winning the regular season," Reihman said. "We also want to win the MAC and get that automatic bid to the NCAA championships."
Condit, as well as the rest of the team, are hoping to see a loud and enthusiastic crowd in attendance both Friday and Saturday to support and cheer them onto victory.
"I would like everyone-students, faculty and Oxford residents alike-to come together and cheer us on," Condit said. "I want to see so much red and white that our opponent's fans will get drowned out by all of our noise."
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