TicketsSept. 16, 2005
Contact: Shawn Sell
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Cincinnati captured the Bearcat Invitational title for the third straight year, winning the 2005 edition of the tournament sponsored by State Farm Insurance and presented by the Vernon Manor Hotel. UC won the crown with a hard fought five-game win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Friday night in Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats took a two games to none lead then watched the Panthers storm back to even the match at two and force a deciding game five. UC, at 5-4 on the year, won the match by scores of 30-18, 30-20, 31-33, 20-30, 15-13. UW-Milwaukee stands at 7-5 on the season with the defeat.
Jenny Custer was named the tournament's most valuable player and continued her fine play in the match with 15 kills on .351 hitting along with six digs and five assists. UC put all five of its primary hitters in double figure kills, a feat they hadn't accomplished since Oct. 30, 2004 at Tulane. Maria Pongonis, another member of the all-tournament team finished with a team-high 17 kills, while Erin Maldo recorded a new career-best with 15 kills. Jessie Nevitt, UC's third representative on the all-tournament squad added 13, while Myanna Hellsten had 11.
UWM got an incredible all-around performance from Leanne Felsing as she led all players with 19 kills, handed out 44 assists and totaled 14 digs. Felsing was joined on the all-tournament team by Sarah Moore who tacked on 13 kills. Rachel Kuebbing (16), Cheryl Hegemann (13) and Monica Ferguson (11) all reached double figures for the Panthers.
UC breezed through the first two games, winning by a combined 22 points and never trailing in either frame. The Bearcats hit a combined .351 in games one and two, while limiting the Panthers to just .125. Through two games, Maldo and Nevitt were pacing the Bearcats with nine kills each, while Custer had eight.
The Bearcats got off to a slow start in game three, but recovered to find themselves up 18-14 on a block by Nevitt and Noel Olson. The visitors methodically moved back into the game however and set up game point at 29-28 on a kill by Hegemann that forced a Bearcat timeout. UC came out of the break and took advantage of two Panther errors to set up its first match point. That quickly disappeared courtesy of a Kuebbing kill, but reappeared when Custer knocked down a kill to make it 31-30. UWM then ran off three points in a row, capped by a Hegemann-Moore block that gave the Panthers a 33-31 triumph. Interestingly, both teams hit extremely well in the game, with the Panthers holding a .423 to .353 edge.
The fourth game was a disaster for the Bearcats as they led just once at 3-2 and were limited to .000 hitting for the frame. UC got as close as two at 13-11, but a 6-0 UWM run put the Panthers in the driver's seat at 24-14. UWM went on to close out the 30-20 victory on a kill by Felsing.
Cincinnati ran out of the gates in the deciding game, taking an 8-4 lead at the switchover on a block by Hellsten and Olson. The Panthers wouldn't stay down long, however as they scored three straight to tie things at eight. UC took the momentum right back with a 4-1 run, but UWM came right back with three in a row to make it 12-12. Cincinnati went ahead by one on a Panther error, but saw the score tied at 13 following a Kuebbing kill. Pongonis set up match point with her 17th kill and the Bearcats sealed the triumph on a UWM ball handling error.
UC's defense had many star performers, including freshman libero standout Melissa Zenz who matched her career-high with 29 digs. Pongonis just missed her personal-high with 22, while Hellsten tacked on a season-best eight blocks. Nevitt and Pongonis also got in the blocking act with five apiece, with the latter's count matching her career-best.
UWM got 26 digs from libero Becky Peters, while Hegemann added 17. Moore had a total of seven blocks for the Panthers.
Felsing (44 assists) and Melissa Lange (24) split time at setter for UWM, while the Bearcats got a season-best 58 assists from Olson.
UC returns to the court for a non-conference clash with Marshall this Tuesday. Match time from Huntington, W.Va. is set for 7 p.m.
George Washington 3, Jacksonville State 0
George Washington secured third place in the State Farm Bearcat Invitational presented by the Vernon Manor Hotel with a three-game sweep of Jacksonville State. Lindsay Venard was the only Colonial (3-7) player in double figure kills as she finished with 10. GW took advantage of an .095 hitting performance by the Gamecocks to aid in the victory.
Jacksonville State (3-7) got 15 kills from Abbey Breit and 13 from all-tournament team member Suzi Terrell.
2005 State Farm Bearcat Invitational presented by The Vernon Manor Hotel All-Tournament Team
Suzi Terrell--Jacksonville State
Janine Brown--George Washington
Leanne Felsing--UW-Milwaukee
Sarah Moore--UW-Milwaukee
Maria Pongonis--Cincinnati
Jessie Nevitt--Cincinnati
Tournament MVP--Jenny Custer, Cincinnati