TicketsSept. 29, 2005
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SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati volleyball team continues its stretch of five of six matches on the road when it returns to BIG EAST action this weekend. The Bearcats (8-5, 2-0 BIG EAST) will travel to Rutgers and Villanova in their fight to stay atop the BIG EAST standings. UC will face Rutgers (6-9, 1-1 BIG EAST) on Saturday (Oct. 1), before a trip to Villanova (12-3, 2-0 BIG EAST) a day later. Both matches will start at 2 p.m. ET.
NOTES FROM IUPUI:
- UC finished the match with 13.5 blocks, representing the squad's third-highest total of the year. Jenny Custer recorded a career-best eight blocks, while Jessie Nevitt also had eight.
- The Bearcats' victory stretched their win streak vs. the Jaguars to three, but the two games won by IUPUI were the first two in series history after two straight UC sweeps.
ABOUT RUTGERS: The Scarlet Knights salvaged a split during the first weekend of BIG EAST play, taking a five-game win at West Virginia, before dropping a five-gamer at Pittsburgh. Rutgers, selected 15th in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll, enters the weekend 6-9 overall and 1-1 in league play. Lora Yankauskas is the top offensive threat for Rutgers, averaging 3.96 kills per game. Defensively, Courtney Stout (3.25 digs per game) and Ashleigh Young (1.05 blocks per game) are the Scarlet Knights' top performers.
ABOUT VILLANOVA: The Wildcats have been one of the BIG EAST's biggest surprises this season as they enter the weekend 12-3 overall and one of five teams tied for first place in the league. Villanova, picked 12th in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches Poll, earned wins at Pittsburgh and West Virginia last weekend to jump to 2-0 in conference play. Alona Cherkez and Adria Semrau are the VU offensive leaders, averaging 3.84 and 3.58 kills per game, respectively. On defense, Celine Nguyen leads the squad with 3.51 digs per game, while Semrau is tops with 0.92 blocks per game.
NEVITT EARNS BIG EAST AWARD AGAIN: For the second consecutive week redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt has been named the BIG EAST Conference Volleyball Rookie of the Week. Nevitt gained the accolade after setting a school blocks record and helping the Bearcats to a 2-0 start in conference play. Nevitt became Cincinnati's single match leader with 13 blocks in the Bearcats' mid-week match at Marshall. The mark was not only the highest-ever in a five-game match, but was also the top performance by any UC player regardless of match length. For the week, Nevitt averaged 2.69 kills and 1.54 blocks, while hitting .304. Her week included a career-best 17 kills on .371 hitting in a win over Connecticut and 10 kills on .391 hitting vs. St. John's.
BALANCE, BALANCE: Twice this season, the Bearcats have put all five of their primary hitters into double figure kills in the same match, with the most recent outburst coming in the Sept. 25 win over Connecticut. In both of the contests, Jenny Custer, Myanna Hellsten, Erin Maldo, Jessie Nevitt and Maria Pongonis have all reached double digits, with Nevitt and Pongonis each taking a turn as team-high honoree. In the two matches, UC is averaging 15.56 kills per game and hitting .227, while setter Noel Olson is averaging 13.11 assists per game. UC almost registered the feat again on Sept. 27 vs. IUPUI, but came up just short when Maldo finished with nine kills.
MOST IMPROVED: Sophomore right-side hitter Jenny Custer has been the team's most improved player thus far after a stellar start to her second collegiate season. This season, Custer is averaging 3.29 kills, 2.08 digs and 0.87 blocks per game, while tallying the first five double-doubles of her career. Custer was at her best during the State Farm Bearcat Invitational presented by the Vernon Manor Hotel as she earned MVP honors. She turned in one of her most brilliant performances against St. John's in UC's BIG EAST opener, racking up 17 kills on .406 hitting and adding 12 digs.
THE NEXT QUEEN?: While she is still nearly 2,000 digs away from the school record, freshman libero Melissa Zenz may be the next UC player to challenge the program's "Queen of Digs," Trish Ladusaw. This season, Zenz has averaged 5.27 digs per game to rank second in the BIG EAST, and has 20-plus digs in seven of this year's 13 matches, including a career-high 29 twice. In recording 28 digs vs. Tulsa and 26 vs. New Mexico State, Zenz became the first Bearcat since Ladusaw in 2002 to total over 20 digs in two consecutive matches. Her seven 20-plus dig efforts are the most by a Bearcat since Ladusaw had nine in 2002.
STRONG AT THE NET: Redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt has proven to be a force at the net during the early stages of 2005 and has twice written her name into the UC record books. On Sept. 3 vs. New Mexico State, Nevitt set a new mark with 11 block assists in a four-game match. Her 11 total blocks also matched the mark held by current Bearcat Myanna Hellsten and former UC standout Rachel Torblaa. Nevitt went one step better in UC's Sept. 20 contest at Marshall as she recorded 13 total blocks, setting a record for most in a five-game contest and most ever by a UC player. For the season, Nevitt is second in the BIG EAST with 1.52 blocks per game and has recorded at least five blocks in nine of 13 contests.
NEW LEADER: With the graduation of four-year mainstays Julie DuPont, Leslie Newell and Rachel Torblaa, Maria Pongonis has stepped forward as a team leader for the 2005 season. The only senior on the Bearcat roster, Pongonis leads the squad with 3.60 kills per game. Pongonis has reached double figure kills in all but one match this season, including a season-high 19 against both Texas-Pan American and Tulsa, and has also added 10 double-doubles. Pongonis has shown her defensive prowess by twice recording a career-best 23 digs, including in UC's BIG EAST triumph over Connecticut. She ranks ninth in the BIG EAST with 3.62 digs per game.
SCORING RECORD: The Bearcats' Sept. 15 match with Jacksonville State provided a memorable moment as UC recorded a 44-42 game two win over the Gamecocks. Since the inception of rally scoring in 2001, the 44 points scored by the Bearcats was the most a UC team had ever scored. UC's 104 total points in the match was also a school record for a three-game contest. Both of the previous highs (39 points in one game and 99 points for the match), occurred in UC's win over Wright State on Sept. 14, 2002.
AT THE CONTROLS: Junior Noel Olson has been solid in her second year as the Bearcats setter, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST with 11.94 assists per game. Earlier this year, Olson climbed to sixth on UC's career assists per game chart and moved into seventh on the total assists list, passing Carrie Smith on both. Olson is averaging 7.58 assists per game in two-plus season of action and has registered 2,154 assists to become just the seventh player in school history with 2,000 assists. It will be awhile before Olson challenges for sixth on the assists chart, as her total is nearly 500 behind Beth Herman's (1993-96) 2,638.
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 131-52 (.716) record at home and are 66-6 (.917) over the past seven years. 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. UC has currently won six in a row at home dating back to last season.
TOURNAMENT HONORS: A total of four Bearcats have earned all-tournament honors as UC competed in three tournaments to open the 2005 season. A look at the award winners and their performances:
- Maria Pongonis (Las Cruces Hilton Classic)-4.82 kills and 3.00 digs per game; 19 kills against both Texas Pan-American and Tulsa.
- Melissa Zenz (Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge)-6.17 digs per game; three 20-plus dig performances, including career-high 29 vs. Cal State Northridge.
- Jenny Custer (State Farm Bearcat Invitational MVP)-4.00 kills, 1.91 digs, 0.64 blocks per game, .441 hitting percentage; hit .500 twice with 17 kills and 11 digs vs. Jacksonville State.
- Jessie Nevitt (State Farm Bearcat Invitational)-2.82 kills, 1.36 blocks, 0.64 digs per game, .351 hitting percentage; 10 kills, eight blocks, .500 hitting vs. Jacksonville State.
- Pongonis (State Farm Bearcat Invitational)-3.36 kills, 4.09 digs, 0.73 blocks per game; 17 kills, 22 digs vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee.