TicketsBearcats Close Regular Season This Weekend
Senior Day scheduled for Saturday
Contact: Shawn Sell
11/24/2004
Rachel Torblaa is one of four Bearcat seniors. |
SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati volleyball team will make one final push for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid when they host a pair of NCAA-bound teams this weekend in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats (21-10), will first welcome Mid-American Conference Champions Ohio (27-2) to town for a 7:30 p.m. contest on Friday (Nov. 26). Dayton (23-7), winners of last weekend?s Atlantic 10 Tournament, will be the opponent on Senior Night, which takes place Saturday (Nov. 27) at 4 p.m.
NOTES FROM THE CONFERENCE USA TOURNAMENT:
? The Bearcats advanced to the semifinals of the Conference USA Tournament for the eighth time in the 10-year history of the league. UC finished just 2-6 in semifinal play.
? Julie DuPont was named to the C-USA All-Tournament Team for the first time in her career after averaging 5.00 kills, 3.29 digs and 1.86 blocks per game.
? UC registered a season-high total of 18.5 blocks in the quarterfinal win over Saint Louis. The Bearcats? 33 block assists marked a school record for a three-game match.
? With 14 block assists during the tournament, Rachel Torblaa moved into second place on the school?s career list with 435. Her 15 total blocks give her 494 for her career and vault the senior into third place on that UC career chart.
? Torblaa moved within two kills of reaching 1,000 for her career and becoming just the 10th player in school history to reach the plateau. Leslie Newell enters the weekend needing 60 more kills for 1,000.
? With 22 kills in the semifinals against Marquette, DuPont now has 549 kills this season, which ranks fifth on the UC single season list. She now holds three of the top five single season performances ever turned in by a Cincinnati player.
ABOUT OHIO: The Bobcats have won an astounding 21 matches in a row and will set a school record for consecutive wins with a victory over the Bearcats. Over the weekend, Ohio earned the Mid-American Conference?s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, with a sweep of Marshall in the MAC Tournament finals. OU advanced to the championship after surviving a near two games to none comeback by Western Michigan in the tournament semis. The Bobcats, under the direction of MAC Coach of the Year Geoff Carlston, are led on the court by setter Briana Adamovsky, the league?s player of the year. Adamovsky averages 13.93 assists per game, while adding 1.41 kills and 2.21 digs per game and hitting .401. Julia Winkfield joined Adamovsky on the All-MAC first team after averaging a team-high 3.48 kills per game to go along with a .327 hitting percentage and 0.95 blocks per game.
ABOUT DAYTON: The Flyers knocked off Xavier in the final round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament to earn the league?s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. Dayton, 23-7, is led by A-10 Player of the Year Christy Utnage, who averages 4.47 kills and 3.38 digs per game. Utnage was joined on the all-conference first team by sophomore Faye Barhorst, who leads the team in kills (4.50) and blocks (1.50) per game, while hitting a team-best .382. Libero Adrienne Green paces the defense with a team-high 4.34 digs per game.
CONFERENCE HONORS: A total of three Bearcats were honored by the Conference USA coaches this week, as the league announced its annual postseason awards. For the second consecutive year, Julie DuPont was tabbed as the C-USA Player of the Year, joining just two other players as multiple recipients of the award. In addition, Rachel Torblaa (second team) and Myanna Hellsten (third team) were both recognized for their outstanding play. Torblaa was a third team choice in 2003, while Hellsten was named the league?s freshman of the year.
THE BEST OF THE BEST: Current senior Julie DuPont and former Bearcat great Laura Lauder were each named to Conference USA?s All-Decade Team, announced by the league office in conjunction with its 10th anniversary. DuPont and Lauder were among 10 C-USA standouts honored on a team that was voted on by the conference?s current head coaches.
WORKING ON 1,000: While classmate Julie DuPont has dominated the headlines, seniors Rachel Torblaa and Leslie Newell are quietly approaching 1,000 kills for each of their respective careers. Torblaa should reach the milestone on Friday as she needs just two more kills to reach the plateau. Newell will have a little more work to do to achieve the feat, as she enters the week with 940 career kills. If either player reaches 1,000, they will become just the ninth player in school history to do so.
GOODBYE SENIORS: Following Saturday?s match with Dayton, UC will honor seniors Julie DuPont, Leslie Newell and Rachel Torblaa. Student manager Ashlee Strete will also be recognized for her contributions in a post-match ceremony.
DUPONT STREAKING: With 22 kills on Sunday vs. Marquette, senior Julie DuPont extended her streak of consecutive matches with at least 10 kills to 40. The current streak is tied for the sixth-longest in the country, trailing Stacey Gordon (Ohio State-104), Ogonna Nnamani (Stanford-57), Leah Ratzlaff (Creighton-50), Tera Lobdell (Northern Illinois-46) and Erin Heffner (Alabama-42).
WE BLOCK IT LIKE THAT: A key to the Bearcats? success of late has been a steady improvement in the team?s blocking ability. Over the last 10 matches, UC has reached double figures in team blocks in eight of the 10 contests, averaging 2.97 per game and establishing a new season-high with 18 during the Conference USA Tournament quarterfinal win over Saint Louis. Against the Billikens, the Bearcats also established a school record with 33 block assists in the three-game match, seven better than the previous mark. The middle blocker tandem of Myanna Hellsten and Rachel Torblaa have spearheaded the attack, averaging 1.61 and 1.21 blocks per game during the stretch. Julie DuPont and Leslie Newell have also added 1.03 and 0.86 blocks per game, respectively. Against Saint Louis last night, both DuPont (nine) and Noel Olson (six) each recorded new career-bests, while Torblaa and Hellsten added nine and eight blocks, respectively.
GAME THREE STRUGGLES: Despite a 12-4 record in its last 16 matches, the Bearcats have struggled during game three of the matches during that stretch. UC has a game three record of just 9-7 in the 16 matches, while hitting .258. Of the seven game threes the Bearcats have dropped, five have come with UC holding a two games to none advantage.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: Despite losing just one starter from last season?s team, the Bearcats have had their struggles this season. Through 31 matches this year, UC has a record of 21-10, compared to a 26-3 mark last year. The team?s hitting has dropped nearly 40 points from last season, down to .245 currently, after being at .282 in 2003. The team?s kills (17.39 to 15.87), assists (15.85 to 14.32) and digs (16.34 to 14.22) have also dropped from last year. Only the team?s blocking numbers (2.87 to 2.73) have shown little drop off, while this year?s team is allowing opponents to hit .171, compared to .173 last year. UC has 20 more service aces at this point in the season than it did last year.
ACADEMICS STARS: A number of players on the Bearcats? roster are receiving attention not only for their athletic ability, but also their stellar work in the classroom. On Oct. 27, sophomore Myanna Hellsten joined current teammates Julie DuPont and Rachel Torblaa as member?s of UC?s prestigious Legion of Excellence. Each fall, the legion honors one student-athlete from each of Cincinnati?s teams that holds the highest cumulative GPA on the team. DuPont was also lauded for her outstanding academic and athletic success, as she was named to CoSIDA?s Academic All-District first team for the third straight year. Her name will now appear on the All-American ballot, with that team being revealed on Dec. 2.
SISTER, SISTER: Senior Leslie Newell has had a unique opportunity during her final season as a collegiate player, as the Bearcats have played contests against both of her younger sisters. UC defeated IUPUI with youngest sister Carol, a freshman, on Sept. 28 before topping Conference USA rival Charlotte and sibling Lisa, a junior, on Nov. 5. Leslie has bettered sister Lisa in all four of the sisters? head-to-head match-ups. UC has won each of the last three regular season match-ups between the schools, and a C-USA Tournament quarterfinal win in 2002.
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 61-9 record against Conference USA schools in regular season play. Since Newell is a fifth-year senior, the mark dates back to the 2000 season, Newell?s freshman year.
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.
OFFENSIVE OUTBREAK: On three occasions this season, the Bearcats have shown true offensive balance by placing all five of their primary hitters in double figure kills. Against Western Kentucky (Oct. 5), Southern Miss (Oct. 29) and Tulane (Oct. 30), the quintet of Julie DuPont, Myanna Hellsten, Leslie Newell, Maria Pongonis and Rachel Torblaa all registered at least 10 kills. In the three matches, UC is averaging 17.42 kills per game and hitting .276, while setter Noel Olson is averaging 14.83 assists per game.
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 Nov. 20 vs. Saint Louis when she recorded 13 kills, nine blocks and five digs. Only Becky Tenkman (1996), Tobi Kirchenwitz (2000) and Bonita Wise (2000) have achieved triple doubles in school history.
ANOTHER 20 WINS: With a win over East Carolina on Nov. 6, the Bearcats locked up a 20-win season for the ninth year in a row and for the fifth time under head coach Reed Sunahara. The Bearcats have had a total of 21 seasons with at least 20 wins, but Sunahara is the only coach in program annals with more than three 20-win campaigns.
IMPACT PLAYER: During the last 20 matches, the Bearcats have gotten a dramatic increase in production from senior right side hitter Leslie Newell. Since UC?s win over Butler on Sept. 25, Newell has averaged 2.61 kills and 0.88 blocks per game, while hitting .352, helping the Bearcats win 16 of the 20 matches. Included during the span was a season-high 18 kill performance by Newell at TCU on Oct. 16. The hot hitting has moved Newell into fourth in hitting percentage in the current Conference USA rankings at .339. Newell also has a chance to reach the 1,000 kill club, as she enters this week with 940.
DEFENSIVELY SOUND: While she has struggled at times offensively this season, junior Maria Pongonis has proven to be one of the Bearcats? most valuable defensive players. Twice this season, Pongonis has established a new career-best in digs, with the newest mark of 18 coming on Oct. 24 against Saint Louis. Pongonis ranks third on the team in digs per game (2.66) and has reached double figures 14 times this season. She also has nine double-doubles this season and 20 for her career. Offensively, Pongonis set a career-best in kills on Sept. 10 when she burned Washington State for 23. Her 2.89 kills per game average ranks second on the team entering the week.
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 third in conference history in kills with 2,113 after overtaking Stephanie Bishop of DePaul in the Bearcats? Nov. 6 win over East Carolina. Next on the list is former Saint Louis star Colleen Hunter with 2,230 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: After a school-record 23 straight home wins which dated back to the 2001 season, the Bearcats had their home winning streak snapped on Oct. 24 by Saint Louis. 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 16 years the building has been in existence, the Bearcats have posted a 125-51 (.710) record at home, with 25 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. At the time the streak was snapped, it represented the third-longest active streak in the nation.
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 week with an all-time record of 708-441-8 (.615) and with win number 700 became only the second Conference USA school to reach the feat. Houston, with 766 wins, is currently the only other 700-club member in the league, with USF (688), Memphis (688) and Louisville (627) getting close.
COMING ON STRONG: Rachel Torblaa has given the Bearcats another viable offensive weapon this season and through the last 20 matches, she has been nothing short of outstanding. For the stretch, Torblaa is averaging 3.06 kills per game, while hitting .317. Against Memphis on Oct. 22, Torblaa matched her career-high with 20 kills, while hitting .359 for the match. In the 20-match stretch, the senior middle blocker has reached double-figure kills 16 times, including 11 of the last 13. Torblaa is also closing in on the 1,000 kill plateau for her career. She enters the week needing just two more kills to become only the 10th player in school history to achieve the feat. Against Louisville on Nov. 12, Torblaa passed former UC assistant coach Stephanie Meinig for 10th place on the school?s career list with 983 kills.
BEARCATS IN C-USA: The Bearcats wrapped up their final regular season during their 10-year association with Conference USA with a Nov. 12 match at Louisville. In the 10 years of Conference USA play, the Bearcats posted a record 116-29 for an .800 winning percentage, ranking second in both, trailing only Louisville. The Bearcats won 80 of their last 96 matches against C-USA opponents, with six of the 16 losses coming to Louisville, and four against USF. The marks exclude C-USA Tournament play.
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 (4.71), has 2,113 kills during her career. She also ranks in the UC annals in attempts (first), digs (second), block assists (fifth), digs per game (seventh), total blocks (eighth) and games played (10th). DuPont is also just four service aces shy of cracking the top-10 in that category as well.
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 14 block assists during the Conference USA Tournament, Torblaa is now second in school annals with 435, after passing former teammate Bonita 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 (third-494). In the Conference USA career rankings, Torblaa is listed seventh in total blocks.
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. Four times this season, Olson has registered new career-highs in assists, including a best of 66 against Southern Miss on Oct. 29. 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 fifth in Conference USA averaging 12.35 assists per game and has 50-plus assists in seven of 12 C-USA matches this season.
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 2,113 kills and 1,326 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).
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 150 games this season at Western Kentucky on Oct. 5. Already, Hellsten is listed in two categories, ranked fifth in blocks per game (1.33) and ranked sixth in hitting percentage (.294). Olson ranks eighth in assists per game with 6.43, while also being shown eighth with 1,446 career assists. Pongonis broke onto the charts in kills per game, listed ninth with 3.15 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 118 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 137-83 (.623) in his coaching career, with an even more impressive 118-43 (.733) mark at UC.