TicketsBearcat Volleyball Drops Second Straight
UC loses four-game decision to Miami (Fla.)
Contact: Shawn Sell
9/11/2004
Julie DuPont had 19 kills and 15 digs vs. Miami (Fla.) |
LOS ANGELES, Calif.---The Miami Hurricanes used 15.5 blocks to hand the University of Cincinnati volleyball team its second straight defeat on Saturday in the Furama Hotel Invitational. Miami won the four-game contest by scores of 30-28, 28-30, 30-28, 30-20.
The Bearcats hit only .219 for the match and were held to .054 in the final game as the Hurricanes put the finishing touches on their second win of the season against two losses. UC is now 5-2 overall.
Julie DuPont and Maria Pongonis paced the Bearcat attack with 19 kills apiece, but hit only .170 and .149, respectively. The Hurricanes? Valeria Tipiana scorched the Bearcats for a match-high 25 kills, while Karla Johnson added 15.
The Hurricanes? fierce blocking defense got nine blocks from six foot five middle blocker Ciara Michel and six from Fran Savage. UC freshman Natalie Dossman led all players with 18 digs, while DuPont had 15 and Pongonis 12.
The first three games were all hotly contested as the 30-28 scores would indicate. Cincinnati led much of the opening game, but Miami scored seven of the game?s last 10 points to pull out the victory.
Game two was much of the same and the Bearcats seemed to be in control when DuPont?s kill made it 28-24. Miami ripped off four straight points to even the score, but a Pongonis kill and a Hurricane error closed out the game for UC.
The third game was once again close right to the end and UC trailed 27-24 when Reed Sunahara called a time-out. UC charged back on the strength on two Pongonis kills and a block by Rachel Torblaa and Noel Olson. Miami got to 29-25 on a kill by Johnson and following a DuPont kill, Johnson closed the game with another kill.
Game four was close until Miami broke a six-all tie with a 13-5 run that pushed the Hurricanes ahead 19-11. From there, the Bearcats couldn?t sustain much offense as the Hurricanes finished off the 30-20 victory.
Olson set a new career-high yet again with 59 assists, while Torblaa joined two other Bearcats in double figures with 15 kills.
The Bearcats will be back in action next weekend when they travel to Madison, Wis. for the InnTowner Invitational.
All-Tournament Team
Rachel Torblaa (Cincinnati)
Val Tipiana (Miami)
Kelly Rosin (Washington State)
Jennifer Todd (Washington State)
Dina DeBernardi (Loyola Marymount)
Heather Hughes (Loyola Marymount)
Nicole Oehlman (Loyola Marymount)-MVP