Ohio Volleyball Co-Champions of MAC's East Division
Fourth-seeded Bobcats start tournament with first-ever home match

Contact: Jim Stephan, (740) 593-1298 or stephan@ohio.edu

ATHENS, Ohio (November 19, 2000) -- The Ohio Volleyball program has earned the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament and start by hosting a postseason match for the first time ever Tuesday night at the Convocation Center. The Bobcats will face fifth-seeded Northern Illinois at 7 p.m. with the winner advancing to the semifinals against either No. 1 Western Michigan or No. 8 Central Michigan.

By equaling their best league record ever, Ohio (20-10, 12-6) finished in a three-way tie for third with BowlingGreen and Northern Illinois. The tie was broken by the combined records within it -- 3-0 for the Falcons, 1-2 for the Bobcats and 0-2 for the Huskies.

The tournament berth and home match are the culmination of one of the most successful seasons in Bobcat history. The team is just one win shy of tying the school record for victories, set back in 1995. Individual records may also fall in the match. Senior Amber Merrill, who set the single-season kills record on Tuesday, can add the career mark with 39 kills, while sophomore setter Michelle Gil needs just 26 assists to break the season assist mark.

The Bobcats are winless in eight postseason matches and are 0-1 since the MAC stopped using pool play in 1983.

Admission is free.