The first three matches of Ryan Theis’ head coaching career didn’t follow as planned.

Having experienced years of success as an assistant coach at Southeastern Conference powerhouse Florida, Theis was disappointed that his team didn’t win a single set and lost all three matches in Hawaii Aug. 29-31.

After facing three top-12 ranked opponents, including No.1 ranked Penn State, the Bobcats hit their stride in Pittsburgh this past weekend.

Ohio swept Binghamton to open the Pitt Classic on Friday, with junior Ellen Herman and sophomore Sue Jacobi each tallying 12 kills. Setter Michelle Jantsch had three of the Bobcats’ five aces while also registering 32 assists.

Herman recorded back-to-back double-doubles in kills and digs as Ohio downed Eastern Kentucky and tournament host Pittsburgh on Saturday. She was also named the tournament MVP after a career-high 20 kills in the finale.

“As Ellen goes, we go,” Theis said. “She also has a lot of talent around her, and they’re coming around and having good
matches.

“(Herman) does a lot of the little things, too. She’s one of our leaders out there, she has a ton of energy and plays extremely hard.”

Other elements also had a hand in the outcome of the matches, as Pittsburgh’s on-campus field house was without air conditioning for the entire weekend.

Ohio (3-3) played three matches in a little more than a day in the hot conditions, and as other teams began to wear down, the Bobcats excelled. Theis identified the Bobcats’ team conditioning as a major factor in their success.

“It’s the second week of the year, and we’re still just trying to get better,” Theis said. “We found out that we were more fit than the other teams, and that’s a tribute to our strength coach. (Pittsburgh) really struggled toward the end, and they played about the same schedule as we did.

“We put the pressure on them and they just didn’t have the energy to respond.”

Middle blocker Jane Sytsma was a force at the net in the championship match, leading the Bobcats with six blocks.

Freshman Katie Post tallied four blocks and helped solidify the Bobcats’ defense, which has been a work in progress since Theis arrived in March.

“We aren’t where we need to be yet to compete for a conference championship,” Theis said. “We’re blocking 2.7 balls per game, and now that we’re playing to 25 (points per set), I would think that has to be top-25 in the country.”

Theis is also encouraged by the Bobcats’ serving, something he sought to improve on earlier this summer. Ohio’s ace numbers are steadily increasing, and with Jantsch contributing three on Friday, the offense is returning to form after a winless weekend in Hawaii.

The Bobcats travel to upstate New York for the Syracuse Big Orange Tournament, capping off an opening stretch of nine consecutive road matches before returning to Athens for the Hampton Inn Invitational on Sept. 18.