RedHawk middle hitter Carli Reihman takes on two Ohio blockers during Saturday night's match. Ohio was able to avenge its Sept. 28 loss to Miami, knocking off the 'Hawks 3-1. MU trails OU by two games in the MAC standings.
Going into the weekend, the Miami University volleyball team was one game behind Ohio University for the top spot in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) East Division standings. A strong sweep Friday night at Millett Hall of the team's first opponent, Kent State University, brought them within half a game of Ohio. But even with that momentum, the RedHawks were unable to pull off the upset of the Bobcats Saturday night.
The RedHawks made quick work of the Golden Flashes, who were tied with the Miami for second place in the MAC East, thanks in part to a career-high tying 21 kills from Alex Ratcliff.
"It's great to win in three, but we'll need to keep up the energy for (the Ohio) match," said senior Carli Reihman, prior to the Ohio game.
Head Coach Carolyn Condit emphasized before Saturday's game against Ohio the need to keep up their strong defense into the next match against the No. 16 ranked team in the country.
"We've been preparing all season and all week for this match against Ohio," Condit said. "We need to jump well and play strong defense to have a chance."
When Saturday rolled around, Ohio made its way into Millett Hall, while the RedHawks tried to keep the same poise and confidence they showed against Kent State.
Before their final match at Millett Hall, seniors Jeanna Staun and Reihman were honored for their contributions to Miami's volleyball program.
In front of a crowd of 932 people Saturday, the RedHawks came out strong scoring three points in a row, starting on an ace by setter Andrea Atteberry. A side-out for Ohio brought the match back within two points, 6-4. As Ohio was on the verge of tying the match at 13-12, Ratcliff's big kill gave the 'Hawks an important point to keep the lead. Sophomore Megan Griffin had a strong first game, recording five kills. The two teams battled back and forth, with Miami keeping a slim three-point lead throughout the first game, eventually winning 30-26.
After a 1-0 lead, Miami failed to keep up the strong play. The RedHawks put themselves in an early hole, 8-2, after two early service errors by Ratcliff. Ohio extended its lead to 15-8. After Miami was able to close the gap within five points, 16-21, Ohio rallied off three straight points and closed out the game 30-28.
Games three and four were the same story and many Miami errors allowed Ohio to jump ahead early and never look back.
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The third game went back and forth, with 11 different ties and five lead changes. But Miami's eight total errors allowed for Ohio to pull away and win the game 30-25.
As the 'Hawks started to press, being down 2-1 in the match, Ohio came out with much more energy in the fourth game. Ohio was able to maintain a four point lead off 17-13, as Miami could not get any closer than two points in the match. As the match came to a close, Ohio showed they deserve a No. 16 ranking in the nation, showing their firepower and tough defensive skills. The match ended fittingly on a hard kill by Ohio, 30-24, winning the match 3-1.
"We did not block or play defense well," Condit said. "We couldn't hit around there blocks. We hit straight into their hands every time."
The devastating loss to Ohio puts the RedHawks two games behind in the MAC East standings. Condit said she believed that Ohio had the upper hand because of their fresh legs compared to Miami's who played a match the night before.
"It's back to the drawing board." Condit said. "We'll have a high seed in the tournament and we'll try and get them there."
The RedHawks will hit the road for their final two matches of the season before the MAC Tournament. Miami will travel to the University of Akron Nov. 9 and then to the University at Buffalo Nov. 10.
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