TicketsUC Spikers Wrap Up No. 1 Seed For C-USA Tourney
No. 20 Bearcats sweep UAB
Contact: Shawn Sell
11/14/2003
Lindsey Garrison had a match-high 12 digs in UC's win over UAB on Friday night. |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.?The 20th ranked Bearcat volleyball team wrapped up at least a share of the 2003 Conference USA regular season championship and the number one seed in the upcoming league tournament with a three-game sweep of UAB on Friday night.
With the 30-27, 30-20, 30-24 win, UC improves to 26-2 overall and 12-0 in C-USA action. The victory is the Bearcats 14th in a row, tying for the third longest such streak in school history. UAB falls to 14-16, 6-6 C-USA with the defeat.
Rachel Torblaa led the Bearcats in kills for just the second time this season, helping UC overcome a cold hitting night by Julie DuPont. Torblaa carded 13 kills on a match-best .706 hitting, while DuPont had 12, but hit just .091. Leslie Newell tacked on nine with a .421 hitting clip. Setter Laura Lauder dished out 33 assists in the win.
UAB actually held a hitting advantage in game one by a .250 to .231 margin, but still fell to the Bearcats by a 30-27 final. From there, UC hit .312 in each of the next two frames, limiting UAB to .122 in each game to close out the win.
Breanne Swenson led the Blazers with 13 kills, while Martina Shields had 12 and Karen Boyd 10. UAB hit .164 for the match, with UC coming in at a .282 clip.
?It was a great team victory for us,? said Bearcat head coach Reed Sunahara. ?Everyone really stepped up and played well. We are really excited to get the number one seed and hope to close out the league schedule with a win tomorrow night.?
Defensively, Bearcat libero Lindsey Garrison led all players with 12 digs, while DuPont added 10. Freshman Myanna Hellsten led all players with eight blocks and DuPont tacked on six. On the defensive side for the Blazers, Shields and Swenson each had seven digs, while Cassi Ochiesa had four blocks.
The Bearcats will now try to capture their second outright C-USA Championship in the last three years with a win at USF tomorrow night. UC and USF will get underway at 7 p.m. in Tampa, Fla. Cincinnati can also claim the crown with a Louisville loss at UAB tomorrow night. A win at USF will also assure the Bearcats of the first 13-0 season in C-USA history and just the second undefeated campaign ever by a league team. A 15th straight win would equal the second-longest victory streak in school history, just one back of the school-best.