TicketsAug. 31, 2005
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SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati opens its 2005 volleyball campaign this weekend (Sept. 2-3) taking part in the Las Cruces Hilton Classic, hosted by New Mexico State. The four-team tournament field includes the Bearcats, Texas-Pan American, Tulsa and the host Aggies. Action from the Pan American Center gets underway on Friday with UC and UT-Pan American battling at 11 a.m. MT.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The Las Cruces Hilton will serve as the title sponsor for this weekend's four-team volleyball showcase in the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M. New Mexico State, reigning champions of the Sun Belt Conference and an NCAA Tournament qualifier in 2004, will serve as tournament hosts. NMSU is 1-0 on the year after sweeping in-state rival New Mexico on Monday night. UT-Pan American brings a 1-3 mark into the event, while Tulsa is 3-1. The schedule for the weekend is as follows: Friday, Sept. 2 Cincinnati vs. Texas-Pan American, 11 a.m. MT Cincinnati vs. Tulsa, 4 p.m. MT Texas-Pan American at New Mexico State, 7 p.m. MT Saturday, Sept. 3 Tulsa vs. Texas-Pan American, 11 a.m. MT Cincinnati at New Mexico State, 2 p.m. MT
ABOUT UT-PAN AMERICAN: The Broncs bring a 1-3 record to New Mexico after opening the season last weekend taking part in Tulsa's two-day tournament. UTPA picked up a hard fought five-game win against Lamar for its first victory, while dropping contests to Fordham, Tulsa and Utah State. Freshman Kellie Phillips led the Broncs in the first weekend of play, averaging 2.73 kills per game. Senior Stephanie Redd is the squad's top returning player, having averaged 2.76 kills per game last year and picking up 2.60 per game this season. On the defensive side, Chrissie Carrigan is averaging 4.20 digs per game, while Redd paces the squad at 1.00 blocks per game.
ABOUT TULSA: In its first season as a member of Conference USA, Tulsa rolled to a 3-1 start and a second place finish at its own Hurricane Invitational over the weekend. The Hurricane scored sweeps of Lamar and Texas-Pan American, while also earning a four-game triumph over Fordham. Tulsa took its first loss of the season in a four-game decision to Utah State. Sophomore Kassiana Uranu and junior Germana Hilario each averaged over three kills per game in the opening weekend, with Uranu adding 3.40 digs. Sophomore Julia Silva was tabbed C-USA's first Setter of the Week for 2005 after carding 12.07 assists per game, along with 2.07 kills, 2.14 digs and 0.79 blocks per game. In the preseason poll of C-USA's coaches, Tulsa was picked sixth in the new 12-team conference.
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE: The Aggies enter a new era of their own in 2005 as they leave the Sun Belt Conference to compete in the Western Athletic Conference. New Mexico State is coming off a stellar 30-3 campaign in 2004 that saw them go undefeated in conference play and advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies return eight letterwinners from that team, including preseason all-conference selections Alice Borden and Jackie Choi. Borden averaged 2.70 kills and 1.61 blocks per game last year, while Choi averaged 11.79 assists per contest from her setter position. Picked to finish fourth in the WAC this season, NMSU opened the season with a three-game win over New Mexico on Monday evening.
BEARCATS FOURTH IN BIG EAST POLL: In their first season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, the Bearcats have been tabbed to finish fourth in a poll of the league's 15 coaches. The Bearcats, who will compete in the BIG EAST for the first time in 2005 along with DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida, finished last season with a 22-11 record, narrowly missing a sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth. UC returns three starters among six letterwinners from that team. Louisville, last season's C-USA regular season and tournament champions, was selected atop the BIG EAST poll. The Cardinals, who posted a 30-3 record last year, earned 12 of a possible 15 first place votes. Notre Dame, the defending BIG EAST titlist, picked up the final three first place votes and placed second. Pittsburgh, UC and Marquette round out the top-five.
HELLSTEN NAMED PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST: Junior Myanna Hellsten has been named to the BIG EAST's preseason all-conference squad. Hellsten was one of 13 players selected for the team. As a sophomore, Hellsten averaged 2.43 kills and 1.35 blocks per game, while hitting a team-best .323. For her efforts, Hellsten earned third team All-Conference USA honors.
CONFERENCE SHAKEUPS: Cincinnati shares something in common with two of its weekend opponents as both New Mexico State and Tulsa are entering new conferences this season. When the Bearcats departed for the BIG EAST along with four other schools, Tulsa became one of six new members of Conference USA. Tulsa's leaving the Western Athletic Conference paved the way for New Mexico State to gain membership in the WAC.
READY TO RELOAD: The 2005 season will force the Bearcats to reload after the graduation losses of All-American Julie DuPont and four-year starters Leslie Newell and Rachel Torblaa. The graduating seniors combined for 63% of the team's kills, 30% of the digs and 53% of the blocks in 2004. With the loss of the trio, UC will turn to senior Maria Pongonis, who ranked second on the squad in kills and third in digs, and junior Myanna Hellsten, who paced the squad in both hitting and blocks per game last year.
BACK AT THE CONTROLS: The setter position should be in good hands this season with the return of junior Noel Olson. Olson took over the starting role last season, replacing the program's top setter in history, Laura Lauder. She was solid at the controls last year, averaging 12.35 assists per game to rank third in Conference USA. During conference play, Olson had 50-plus assists in seven of 12 C-USA matches and had a career-high 66 at Southern Miss.
READY TO BREAKTHROUGH: If the preseason is any indication, the Bearcats should be able to count on breakthrough years from sophomore Jenny Custer and redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt. Custer played extensively last season and will be out to improve on her 0.31 kills and 1.29 digs per game. She is the probable starter at right side hitter. Nevitt, a middle blocker, redshirted last season, but honed her skills with a summer trip to Argentina as part of a USA All-Star Team.
HOME COURT HEROICS: Cincinnati has enjoyed a strong home court advantage since the opening of Fifth Third Arena in 1989. In the 16 years the building has been in existence, the Bearcats have posted a 126-52 (.708) 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 the Arena at both the former Laurence Hall and, more recently, at St. Ursula Academy. During the program's time in Fifth Third, it has enjoyed two lengthy win streaks, including a school-record 23 match string that ended last season. At the time the streak was snapped, it represented the third-longest active streak in the nation.
UNFAMILIAR FACES: The Bearcats' move into the BIG EAST this year will give the squad a whole net set of rivals to meet up with. Of the 14 BIG EAST schools UC will face, three are new opponents (Connecticut, St. John's and Seton Hall). With the exception of Conference USA holdovers DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida, it's been awhile since UC has faced any of the new look BIG EAST members. A look at the last time UC faced each of the league schools: Georgetown 1990 W, 3-1 Notre Dame 2002 L, 0-3 Pittsburgh 1989 L, 0-3 Rutgers 1996 W, 3-0 Syracuse 1990 L, 0-3 Villanova 1991 L, 1-3 West Virginia 1995 W, 3-2
WELCOME ABOARD: The Bearcat program is chalk full of new faces both on the floor and on the sidelines. UC welcomes freshmen Jessica Elley, Lindsey Peterson, Jami Torok and Melissa Zenz to the roster for this season. Head Coach Reed Sunahara's staff includes new assistants Steve Aird and Chrissy Smith, a former player at UC. In addition, Cincinnati graduate Sheela Patel has returned to the staff as the team's athletic trainer.