TicketsVolleyball Hits Road For Key C-USA Weekend
Bearcats to face Houston, TCU
Contact: Shawn Sell
10/14/2004
Texas native Myanna Hellsten and the Bearcats will face Houston and TCU this weekend. |
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati volleyball team will take to the road this weekend for a pair of key Conference USA match-ups. The Bearcats enter the weekend on an eight-match winning streak that has increased their record to 13-6 overall and 4-0 in league play. UC will first travel to Houston to face a Cougar team that is 3-1 in C-USA play, despite a 4-12 overall mark. That match is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday (Oct. 15). One night later, the Bearcats will battle a TCU team that holds a 4-0 record in C-USA. That match will get underway at 7 p.m. CT.
NOTES FROM MOREHEAD STATE:
? The Bearcats became just the second program in Conference USA to pick up 700 all-time wins in the victory over the Eagles.
? Cincinnati extended its school record home court winning streak to 22, while extending its overall win streak to eight.
? Noel Olson moved into eighth place on UC?s career assists chart with 41 against Morehead State. Olson, now with 831 assists to her credit, passed Jenny Carter who had 821 from 1992-94.
? Julie DuPont?s 18-kill, 10-dig double double was her 15th of the season and the 62nd of her career.
? DuPont also stretched her streak of consecutive matches with at least 10 kills to 28.
? The Bearcats allowed just one block by Morehead, representing a season-low by a UC opponent.
? Lindsey Garrison reached double figure digs for the second time this season, recording 11 despite playing in just game three.
ABOUT HOUSTON: The Cougars enter the weekend with a somewhat deceiving overall record of 4-12, as Houston has won three of its last four contests, all in Conference USA play, to hold a 3-1 league record. Sophomore Kelly McAnelly has been the leader of an injury-plagued Cougar team this season, averaging 4.36 kills per game. Defensively, the Cougars feature Jaci Gonzalez, one of the conference?s top liberos, and her 5.37 digs per game average. Just last weekend, Gonzalez had her streak of 58 straight matches with at least 10 digs halted. Loure Dews is a solid player in the middle, averaging 0.89 blocks per game and adding 2.21 kills. The Bearcats have won six of the last seven match-ups between the schools, but are out to avenge a loss to the Cougars in the quarterfinals of last season?s Conference USA Tournament.
ABOUT TCU: The Horned Frogs have ridden a six-match winning streak to a record of 13-5 overall and 4-0 in Conference USA, sharing first place in the league with Cincinnati and Louisville. TCU has opened the league slate with wins over Tulane, Southern Miss, Charlotte and East Carolina. The balanced Horned Frog offense features three players averaging over three kills per game, led by Ellen Rehme?s 4.18. TCU also features reigning C-USA Co-Player of the Week Anna Vaughn, who is averaging 3.31 kills per game, while hitting .296 and adding a team-high 0.61 blocks per game.
HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: Playing Houston in the Cougars home arena has created quite a problem for the Bearcats over the years, as they hold a record of just 2-2. The big problem for the squad has been hitting as they?ve hit just .150 in the four matches they played Houston in Hofheinz Pavilion. The trend could break for the Bearcats this weekend, though as instead of playing at Hofheinz, UC and Houston will play in the Athletics/Alumni Center.
TRYING TO STAY PERFECT: With both Cincinnati and TCU leaving Conference USA at the end of this season, this could be the last match-up between the schools. If that?s the case, UC would like to keep its perfect record against the Horned Frogs intact as they have won all three of the previous matches between the schools.
NEWELL?S TIME TO SHINE?: If history does in fact repeat itself, then the Bearcats should be able to count on a breakout performance this weekend by senior Leslie Newell. Newell has been outstanding in her career against Houston and TCU, averaging a combined 3.38 kills and 1.31 blocks per game against the two schools, while hitting .305. She had one of her best performances of the year against TCU last season, hitting a season-high .769 with 10 kills and a career-best five assists.
TAKE A BREAK: With the Bearcats in firm control of their match on Tuesday night against Morehead State, head coach Reed Sunahara took the opportunity to rest some of his regular players, while allowing younger players to gain playing experience. Lindsey Garrison made the most of the opportunity, as she filled the libero slot in game three in place of Natalie Dossman. Last season?s third team all-conference performer had a dazzling performance, registering 11 digs in just one game. Jenny Custer, Erin Maldo and Hannah May also saw extended time for the Bearcats during the frame.
WIN NO. 700: Now in its 33rd year as a varsity program at UC, the Bearcat volleyball program has reached 700 wins all-time. The Bearcats got the milestone victory in an Oct. 12 win over Morehead State. UC enters the weekend with an all-time record of 700-437-8 (.615) and with win number 700 became only the second Conference USA school to reach the feat. Houston, with an all-time record of 764-417 (.647), is currently the only other 700-club member in the league, with USF (683), Memphis (681) and Louisville (615) getting close.
LOOKING FOR MORE REVENGE: The Bearcats have successfully avenged crucial past losses to both Western Kentucky and USF over the last week, but will now be out to repay Houston for last season?s defeat. During the 2003 Conference USA Tournament, the Bearcats, seeded No. 1, were eliminated from the tournament by eighth-seeded Houston.
DUPONT TOPS KILLS CHART: During her career, senior Julie DuPont has made her mark as one of the top players in program history. Now, she can claim yet another milestone in her long list of accomplishments. During game one of UC?s win over UAB on Oct. 8, DuPont became the program?s career leader in kills, passing Becky Tenkman?s mark of 1,843 established from 1995-98. DuPont, who is also tops in school history in kills per game (4.70), has 1,894 kills during her career. She also ranks in the UC annals in attempts (first), digs (fourth), digs per game (seventh), block assists (ninth) and total blocks (10th). DuPont is also on the verge of cracking the top-10 in service aces and games played.
REMEMBERING STEPH: The Bearcats will play their 2004 season in honor of assistant coach and former UC star player Stephanie (Meinig) Rosfeld, who passed away unexpectedly during the preseason. UC will honor Stephanie?s number 10, as no player will wear the number this season, while the entire team?s uniforms will bear the initials SAR and the number 10.
DUPONT STREAKING: With 18 kills on Tuesday vs. Morehead State, senior Julie DuPont extended her streak of consecutive matches with at least 10 kills to 28. The current streak is the fifth-longest in the country, trailing Stacey Gordon (Ohio State-92), Ogonna Nnamani (Stanford-44), Leah Ratzlaff (Creighton-39) and Tera Lobdell (Northern Illinois-33). DuPont is one ahead Mary Hock of Winthrop and Sarah Meek of Idaho at 27.
C-USA COACHES SPEAK: For the third consecutive campaign, the Bearcats have been selected second in the preseason poll of Conference USA coaches. UC, after sharing the Conference USA regular season championship with Louisville, was once again chosen one spot back of the Cardinals. In addition, senior Julie DuPont, the reigning C-USA Player of the Year, was tabbed the league?s preseason player of the year.
SENIOR DOMINANCE: UC?s senior class of Julie DuPont, Leslie Newell and Rachel Torblaa have found great success in league play during their careers, as they hold a collective 55-7 record against Conference USA schools. Since Newell is a fifth-year senior, the mark dates back to the 2000 season, Newell?s freshman year.
BALANCE, BALANCE: Lost in the fact that the Bearcats had five players in double figure kills in the Oct. 5 win over Western Kentucky was the great balance with which the team accumulated attempts. With setter Noel Olson at the controls, four UC players had between 22 and 28 attempts. Though Julie DuPont had a team-high 52 attempts, the rest of the team was close as Myanna Hellsten (28), Maria Pongonis (27), Leslie Newell (24) and Rachel Torblaa (22), were all within six swing of each other. UC showed its balance again on Oct. 9 vs. USF as all five hitters took between 13 and 26 swings. DuPont was again the leader with 26 attempts, with Torblaa (21) and Pongonis (20) right behind. Newell (16) and Hellsten (13) also got in the act.
OFFENSIVE OUTBREAK: For the first time this season, UC put five players in double figure kills against Western Kentucky on Oct. 5. In addition to Julie DuPont?s team-high 14 kills, Leslie Newell (12), Rachel Torblaa (12), Myanna Hellsten (11) and Maria Pongonis (11) all reached double figures. The Bearcats pulled the trick three times in 2003, with the last coming vs. Houston on Nov. 7. The squad nearly pulled the feat again vs. USF on Oct. 9 as DuPont (16), Torblaa (14) and Pongonis (10) all reached double figures and Newell (nine) and Hellsten (eight) came up just short.
NEAR MISSES: Throughout her career, Julie DuPont has shown her talent as an impact all-around player, but still has come up short of achieving the fourth triple-double in program history. DuPont?s most recent near miss came on Sept. 25 at Butler when she recorded 33 kills, 15 digs and seven blocks. Only Becky Tenkman (1996), Tobi Kirchenwitz (2000) and Bonita Wise (2000) have achieved triple doubles in school history.
SIXES ARE WILD: The Bearcats had a rare occurrence in their win over Marquette on Oct. 1, as five members of the UC roster registered exactly six digs. Natalie Dossman, Julie DuPont, Myanna Hellsten, Noel Olson, Maria Pongonis and Rachel Torblaa all accomplished the feat, with the totals for Hellsten and Torblaa being season highs. The latter topped the total with eight at Western Kentucky on Oct. 5.
SISTER, SISTER: Senior Leslie Newell has a unique opportunity during her final season as a collegiate player, as she and her Bearcat teammates will play contests against both of Newell?s younger sisters. UC defeated IUPUI with youngest sister Carol, a freshman, on Sept. 28 and is scheduled to play Conference USA rival Charlotte and sibling Lisa, a junior, at home on Nov. 5. Leslie Newell has bettered sister Lisa in all three of the sisters? head-to-head match-ups. UC has won each of the last two regular season match-ups between the schools, while also taking a C-USA Tournament quarterfinal win in 2002.
HIGH RISER: Maria Pongonis has proven to be an integral part of UC?s success this season, as she ranks second on the team in kills (2.92) and third in digs (2.71). Against Washington State on Sept. 10, Pongonis recorded a new career-high with 23 kills, three more than her previous high from last season?s Marquette contest. She also recorded a new best in digs on Sept. 25 at Butler as she finished with 16. In 19 matches this season, Pongonis has led or tied for the team lead in kills four times, after accomplishing the feat just three times all of last season. Pongonis has reached double figure kills nine times this season, while putting up double digit digs during 10 matches. She also has six double-doubles this season and 17 for her career.
DUPONT JUMPING THE C-USA CHARTS: In addition to her name being written throughout the UC record books, Julie DuPont is making waves in the Conference USA annals as well. DuPont is currently fourth in conference history in kills with 1,894 after overtaking both Becky Tenkman (UC) and Sonja Percan (Louisville) in the Bearcats? Oct. 8 win over UAB. Next on the list for DuPont to catch is former DePaul star Stephanie Bishop with 2,052 kills. Former USF star Michelle Collier, the only player in C-USA history to be named All-American besides DuPont, is the all-time record holder with 2,729.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Bearcats win over Morehead State on Oct. 12 allowed UC to stretch its consecutive home match winning streak to 22 dating back to 2002. The streak, which became a record in the Sept. 7 win over Miami (Ohio), tops the previous best of 17 straight home wins, established from a Sept. 7, 1999 win over Dayton to an Oct. 18, 2000 defeat to Louisville. Since the opening of Fifth Third Arena at Shoemaker Center, the Bearcats have been nothing short of dominant on their home floor. In the 14 years the building has been in existence, the Bearcats have posted a 122-50 (.709) record at home, with exactly half of those losses coming in a three-year span from 1991-93. A handful of those contests have also taken place outside Fifth Third Arena at both the former Laurence Hall and more recently, at St. Ursula Academy. UC has now won 10 straight home Conference USA matches and 17 in a row in home non-conference action.
BACK ON TRACK: After struggling to hit during a six-match losing streak earlier this season, the Bearcats have rebounded during the current eight-match winning streak with some outstanding hitting. UC has hit .298 in the last eight matches, after hitting just .144 in the previous six. The .298 mark includes a season-best effort of .420 in an Oct. 9 win over USF and a .417 performance vs. Morehead State on Oct. 12. During the losing streak, UC hit under .100 in the last three contests, while no Bearcat player hit over .228. The team?s top two offensive threats, Julie DuPont and Maria Pongonis, hit just .152 and .038 respectively in the six matches. The sub-.100 hitting in the three contests marked the first time since Nov. 17, 2001 that UC hit under .100 in a match. That event was a Conference USA Tournament loss to DePaul that saw the Bearcats hit just .095.
TORBLAA CLIMBING THE CHARTS: While she has proven to be a solid and valuable offensive player during her career, senior Rachel Torblaa has made her name at the net with her strong blocking ability. With three block assists on Tuesday against Morehead State, Torblaa moved closer to third in school history with 378. Torblaa is now chasing Becky Tenkman (393) and Bontia Wise (431). Former UC assistant coach Stephanie Meinig is the program?s all-time leader with 518 block assists. Torblaa also ranks in UC annals in both blocks per game (seventh-1.27) and total blocks (seventh-434).
BEARCATS IN C-USA: In the eight-plus years of Conference USA play, the Bearcats have gone 110-26 for an .808 winning percentage, ranking second in both, trailing only Louisville. The Bearcats have now won 74 of their last 87 matches against C-USA opponents. Five of the 13 losses have been to Louisville, while four have come against USF. The marks exclude C-USA Tournament play.
OLSON NOW IN CHARGE: After starting the season in a two-setter alignment, sophomore Noel Olson has stepped to the forefront as the team?s primary setter. Twice this season, Olson has registered new career-highs in assists, including a best of 59 against Miami (Fla.) on Sept. 11. She also dished out 50-plus assists in just three games in UC?s win over DePaul on Oct. 2 and again in an Oct. 9 triumph over USF. Olson ranks seventh in Conference USA averaging 11.61 assists per game and holds a 13.92 assists per game average during UC?s current eight-match winning streak.
DUPONT FEATURED: Senior Julie DuPont?s academic and athletic excellence are chronicled in the latest edition of Volleyball Magazine. A one-page story, with full color photos appears in the October 2004 issue of the magazine. The periodical?s college preview also lists DuPont as one of the top 20 players in the country to watch this season.
FINALLY ON THE CHARTS: By playing in their 150th career game in UC?s Sept. 18 match against Wisconsin, sophomores Myanna Hellsten and Noel Olson are now eligible for inclusion on the school?s career charts. Junior Maria Pongonis became the third Bearcat to reach 150th games this season at Western Kentucky on Oct. 5. Already, Hellsten is listed in two categories, ranking fifth in blocks per game (1.30) and ninth in hitting percentage (.274). Olson ranks ninth in assists per game with 4.64, while also being shown eighth with 831 career assists. Pongonis broke onto the charts in kills per game, listed ninth with 3.23 per game.
SUNAHARA REACHES THE TOP: Cincinnati head coach Reed Sunahara became the program?s all-time winningest coach in the Bearcats? Sept. 10 win over Washington State. Sunahara now has 110 wins in his Cincinnati career, topping Mike Lingenfelter?s previous mark. Lingenfelter recorded 101 wins in his five-year career, which covered 1986-87 and 1993-95. Sunahara, now in his fifth year as the Bearcats? mentor, is 129-79 (.620) in his coaching career, with an even more impressive 110-39 (.738) mark at UC.
DUPONT JOINS ELITE CLUB: As she has so many times during her career, Julie DuPont made history in the Sept. 4 match against Kent State. Against the Golden Flashes, DuPont became just the fifth UC player ever with 1,000 career kills and 1,000 career digs. DuPont, with 1,894 kills and 1,177 digs, joins an exclusive club that includes Sonja Jackson (1,443 kills; 1,135 digs), Dani Peterson (1,040 kills; 1,132 digs), Becky Tenkman (1,843 kills; 1,303 digs) and Trish Ladusaw (1,465 kills; 2,074 digs).
DUPONT WINS C-USA AWARD: For the sixth time in her career, senior Julie DuPont was honored on Sept. 7 as the Conference USA Player of the Week, sharing the honor with Saint Louis? Aida Antanaviciute. In earning MVP honors at the Bearcat Invitational, DuPont averaged 5.22 kills and 3.89 digs per game, while hitting .370. DuPont now shares the top spot with former USF players Paula Araujo and Michelle Collier and Saint Louis? Colleen Hunter in number of career Player of the Week awards.
TIME CHANGE: The start time for UC?s home match on Nov. 6 vs. East Carolina has been changed to 7:30 p.m.
LOOKING AHEAD: The Bearcats will play their final non-conference match until after Thanksgiving when they travel to Wright State on Tuesday, Oct. 19. Match time from the C.J. McLin Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m. Following that contest, UC will return home to put its 22-match home court winning streak on the line when they host Memphis and Saint Louis the weekend of Oct. 22-24. The Memphis match is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start on Friday, Oct. 22, while Saint Louis will be in town for a 2 p.m. contest on Oct. 24.