TicketsSept. 2, 2005
LAS CRUCES, N.M.---Behind a match-high 19 kills from senior Maria Pongonis, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team rolled to a season-opening three-game win over Texas-Pan American on Friday. The match was the first in the Las Cruces Hilton Classic, hosted by New Mexico State. UC was victorious by scores of 30-14, 30-21, 30-25.
Pongonis narrowly missed a double-double as she added nine digs to her kill total. Redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt added eight kills, while sophomore Jenny Custer tacked on seven.
Junior setter Noel Olson paced the Bearcat attack with 35 assists, while leading the team to a .266 hitting effort. She also totaled three kills, five digs and three blocks.
UC was dominant on the defensive end, limiting UTPA to -.017 hitting. UC outblocked the Broncs by a 10-3 margin, including six by Nevitt. In her first collegiate match, freshman Melissa Zenz totaled 17 digs. Sophomore Erin Maldo chipped in with nine.
"It was a good start for us," admitted UC head coach Reed Sunahara. "We weren't as sharp as we would have liked, but we will take the win. We just need to get better as we get ready for Tulsa tonight."
Texas-Pan American got eight kills from Deanna Schneyer in falling to 1-4 on the year. Chrissie Carrigan led the defense with a match-high 23 digs, while Schneyer had three blocks.
The win for UC marks the third consecutive season and fourth in Sunahara's six seasons that the squad has opened the season with a victory.
The Bearcats will shoot for win number two when they return to the court at 4 p.m. MT today to take on Tulsa. UC closes out play against the host Aggies tomorrow at 2 p.m. MT.