ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio volleyball team has built an impressive resume over the last four years. The Bobcats have won back-to-back-to-back conference championships and have spent the last three postseasons in the NCAA Tournament. For Head Coach Geoff Carlston and the Ohio Bobcats, the success continues.

Three players reached career milestones this season and Carlston garnered more wins than any head coach in the program's 38-year history.

Ohio has set trends in the Mid-American Conference and is the first MAC school to ever participate in the prestigious AVCA Showcase. The Bobcats have won 46 straight conference matches and nine straight league tournament matches.

"When I sit back and look at the numbers it's kind of mind boggling," said Carlston. "It's amazing how this group has been able to reach this kind of success on a consistent basis. It's not something that we really focused on, it just happened quietly. We didn't sit down four years ago and plan to win whatever number of matches in a row. That wasn't our thought process, it just happened."

Ohio's success also includes individual advances by players that Carlston says are the backbone of the Bobcats' success - Michaele and Stephanie Blackburn and Melissa Griffin.

"It's cool seeing those three reach milestones together," said Carlston. "It's neat for our program because those three have really been the heart of what we've done."

Senior Michaele Blackburn is Ohio's all-time leader in digs. She continues to raise the bar for players in her position. She has 1,903 career digs already in the vault and is on the brink of ending the season as one of the NCAA's top 25 leaders in digs. Blackburn is also on the MAC's top 10 all-time digs list.

"Michaele has worn the libero uniform since day one," said Carlston. "Her attitude, energy and ability to pass and play defense have really been the backbone of what we've done here."

Stephanie Blackburn and Melissa Griffin are juniors and have played in every match and game since their freshman year.

Stephanie Blackburn is one of Ohio's top overall players. So far this season Blackburn has surpassed the 1,000 mark in career kills and digs. She has 1,012 career kills, 1,089 career digs and 12 double-doubles on the season.

"It's really nice to have reached the milestones in my career, but I don't really focus on stats too much," said Blackburn. "Volleyball is a team sport, and I like to focus more on the team goals. I'm very excited about what the team has overcome this year. I think that our record in the MAC is really solid."

Melissa Griffin also reached 1,000 kills, this year and has a career total of 1,034.

"I'm definitely excited about reaching 1,000 kills, but it has completely been a team effort," said Griffin. "You need a lot of people working for you to be successful. You need people on defense and to set the ball. It's easy being part of this team because everyone is very supportive. They just make it fun."

Carlston is equally elated about the player's individual successes and thinks it's great for the program and Ohio athletics as a whole. "For Stephanie and Melissa to get 1,000 kills at the same time is pretty cool," said Carlston. "I wish I could get a class like them every year. They're tremendous students, they work really hard, they're tough and are great leaders.

Ohio looks to continue their success with a strong finish to the season. For the last three years Ohio has won the MAC Championship and has appeared in the NCAA Tournament; including last year's run to the Sweet 16 with victories over Alabama in the first round and Ohio State in the second round.

"Getting into the NCAA tournament last year was exciting for our program and for the conference," said Carlston. "Beating Alabama and Ohio State was pretty cool and gave us great exposure. This year our goals are just as high. We'd like to get further if possible, but that's a long way off. There's a lot of volleyball before the tournament, but I think the key is to get there. It's like basketball; it's anyone's game."

Carlston isn't the only one optimistic about the remainder of the season. Griffin said that she's proud of how the team has been playing because it shows that they have the confidence to face any team down the road. Stephanie Blackburn said that with the tough teams they've already faced, she's looking forward to seeing what they'll do in the future.

Ohio faces Kent State and Central Michigan on the road this weekend, Nov. 3-4. The Bobcats are 20-3 overall and 12-0 in the MAC.