Volleyball Takes Title at Valpo Popcorn Classic
The Ohio Bobcats volleyball team is quickly earning the reputation of
"Cardiac Kids", rallying in both matches Saturday for a sweep of Dartmouth
and Western Kentucky at the Valpo Popcorn Classic. The wins gave the Bobcats
a 3-1 record over the weekend and a 5-3 mark overall. They were named tournament champions by virtue of the head-to-head win with WKU after the
host team lost the final game to Kent State.
The evening victory avenged a 3-0 loss last week to the Lady Toppers at the
IUPUI Invitational. Ohio saw WKU rally from a 10-2 deficit in the opening
game for a 1-0 lead, but then responded with game wins of 15-4, 15-12 and
15-7 for the victory.
Amber Merrill recorded 27 kills and a .388 hitting
percentage, while Kris Whitfield (17), Laura Hageman (16) and Lori McColl
(16) added double-figure kills. Michelle Gil tallied 67 assists and 19 digs,
both team highs.
Merrill, who set the Ohio single-season kills record last year, moved into
third place on the school's all-time list with a pair of kills early in the
game. She was named the tournament MVP. Gil also earned all-tournament
honors.
In the opening match, Ohio rallied from a two games to one deficit to defeat
Dartmouth 10-15, 16-14, 6-15, 15-13, 15-6. Merrill registered 37 kills and a
.468 hitting percentage, plus added 16 digs to lead the Bobcats. She was a
perfect five kills in five attempts during the deciding game.
Whitfield and McColl also topped double figures in kills with 16 and 14, respectively, while Gil dished out a career-best 70 assists.
Ohio scored the first four and the last four points of the fifth game. The
Bobcats limited the Big Green to just one kill in 18 attempts in that span,
registering 15 digs.
