Women's Volleyball

Miami Captures Battle of the Bricks Rivalry at Ohio

Recap courtesy of Miami's Athletic Communications Department

ATHENS, Ohio— The Miami University volleyball team (18-7, 10-4 MAC) took down the Ohio Bobcats in a four-set match (25-23, 25-21, 24-26, 28-26) on Sunday afternoon. Ohio falls to 14-11, 7-7 MAC.

Lauren Coyne led the way for the Red and White, putting down 19 kills and adding four blocks. Molly Creech (11 kills, 11 digs) and Grace Kreutz (10 kills, 11 digs) produced double-doubles as Miami captured its second straight win.

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Creech and Coyne combined for six kills at the start of the first set to claim an 8-4 lead. Numerous errors by the home team helped Miami hold on to a 12-11 advantage. Three consecutive kills kept Miami on top 15-11 heading into the media timeout before Ohio answered by taking their first lead of the set at 17-16. Back-to-back service aces from Creech helped Miami regain a 20-18 lead. The Bobcats looked to close out the set after taking a 23-21 lead, but the RedHawks responded with four points in a row to win the first set 25-23.
  • The RedHawks used a Coyne kill and a Holland Van Deusen service ace to push ahead 4-1 in the second set. With the score even at six apiece, the Red and White scored four straight points to regain control at 10-6. At 17-16, the RedHawks went on a 5-1 run to make it 22-17, highlighted by a solo block from Lydia Michelin. The Red and White went on to secure a 25-21 second-set victory.
  • Despite two kills from Raegan Lantz in the beginning of the third set, Ohio grabbed a 10-6 lead before Miami knotted the score at 11-11. Trailing 20-16, a kill from Kreutz and a service error from the home team kept Miami in the fight. The Bobcats looked to close out the set at 24-19, but the RedHawks had other intentions, as a solo block from Coyne and a service ace from Rachel Morgan tied things up at 24-24. Ohio finished off the third set on top 26-24.
  • After a back-and-forth start in set four, a block by Lantz and Chelsea Williams put the visitors up 6-5. Back-to-back kills from Creech and Williams made it 10-8, and the RedHawks stretched the margin to 15-12 by the media timeout. A Coyne kill and an OU attack error made it 18-15, but the Bobcats grabbed five straight points to re-take the lead. With Miami down 21-19, Williams, Kreutz, and Creech posted consecutive kills to put the Red and White on top once more. Ohio inched ahead by one, but Kreutz and Coyne extended the set with crucial kills to keep Miami alive at 24-24 and 25-25. After the 13th and final tied score at 26-26, Miami finally outlasted the Bobcats 28-26 to earn a hard-fought four-set victory.
NOTES:
  • With 18 total wins, the RedHawks have totaled their most wins in a season since 2018.
  • Van Deusen collected a team-high 29 assists.
  • Miami defeated Ohio for the first time since March 13, 2020 and beat the Bobcats in Athens for the first time since Nov. 10, 2018.
UP NEXT:
Miami concludes regular season play next week in a pair of matches versus Ohio and Western Michigan. The RedHawks begin the week by hosting Ohio on Thursday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. and follow this up by traveling to Western Michigan on Friday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m.