Kent State University
Ohio
Flashes Battle Bobcats in MAC Volleyball First Round Matchup Thursday
11/20/2019 4:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
2019 MAC Volleyball Championship Central
Kent State opens play at the 2019 Mid-American Conference Volleyball Championship at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in a first road match against Ohio inside of the Stroh Center on the campus of Bowling Green State University.
The Golden Flashes (14-14, 7-9 MAC) enter as the No. seed while the Bobcats earned the No. 5 seed. Ohio won both regular season meetings 3-0, but the final two sets in the most recent matchup on November 7 were won by only two points.
WHAT's AT STAKE
The winner of the eight-team tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament, which begins Thursday, December 5.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The top eight teams in the conference standings, regardless of division, earn spots in the MAC Volleyball Championship. The conference's top two seeds earn a bye to the semifinals, which will be played on Saturday. The No. 3 and No. 4 seeds earn a bye to the quarterfinals, which will be played on Friday. The other four teams play in first round matchups on Thursday and must win four matches in order to claim the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
FOLLOW THE #MACTION
Fans can find out everything they want regarding the MAC Volleyball Championship on the MAC Championship central page. Live stats and video streaming on ESPN+ will be provided for all matches.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Ohio
The Bobcats (17-12, 9-7 MAC) won the final four matches of the regular season with just a single set loss during the winning streak. Ohio had lost four in a row prior to that. As a team, the Bobcats leads the MAC in blocking (2.24 bps) and are second in hitting percentage (.221).
Middle blocker Tia Jimerson and setter Vera Giacomazzi picked up MAC specialty awards, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday. Jimerson earned both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year accolades. She leads the MAC with 4.17 points per set, 1.34 blocks per set and a .377 hitting percentage. The junior was nearly unstoppable in the most recent matchup against Kent State on November 7, posting 18 kills on 21 attempts for an .857 hitting percentage. Giacomazzi was named Setter of the Year for the second time in her career. The junior ranks second nationally in total assists (1,259) and 12th in assists per set (11.45 aps).
Opposite Maggie Nedoma was also an All-MAC First Team selection. The six-rotation player averages a team-best 3.31 kills per set and adds 2.40 digs per set in her first season as a Bobcat.
Dahlias Bouyer joins Jimerson to give Ohio the top middle duo in the conference. Bouyer adds 1.85 kills per set while ranking in the top-10 in both hitting percentage (.354) and blocking (0.95 bps).
Libero Macy Reihing is the team leader with 4.58 digs per set, which ranks fifth in the league.
ALL-TIME VS. OPPONENTS
Kent State is 26-58 all-time against Ohio and has lost five straight meetings. The Flashes' most recent victory was a 3-2 win at the M.A.C. Center on October 5, 2017. Head coach Don Gromala is 3-15 against the Bobcats.
KENT STATE IN THE MAC VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Kent State owns an 9-18 all-time record in MAC Volleyball Championship play since its inception in 1987. The Flashes advanced to the championship match in their first appearance back in 1996, losing to Miami 3-0. They have made six semifinal appearances with the most recent coming in 2015. Kent State earned a first round bye and then swept Ball State in the quarterfinals before losing in four sets to host Ohio. Last season, the Flashes fell in three sets to eventual tournament champion Eastern Michigan.
This will be the sixth all-time conference tournament matchup with Ohio. The Bobcats have won all five matches to-date with two being played in Athens and three at neutral sites.
Head coach Don Gromala has led Kent State to six tournament appearances during his eight years guiding the program, including four consecutive from 2013-16. The Flashes are 2-5 in the tournament during Gromala's tenure.
UP NEXT
The winner of Thursday's first round match will advance to Friday's first quarterfinal at 4:30 p.m. against No. 4 Ball State.
FOLLOW THE FLASHES
Be sure to follow Kent State Volleyball on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the squad.
