Bearcats Suffer First BIG EAST Loss At Villanova

Oct. 2, 2005

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa.---Cincinnati was limited to just .195 hitting as Villanova snapped the Bearcats' four-match winning streak with a three-game win on Sunday afternoon at Nevin Field House. The Wildcats were victorious by scores of 30-25, 30-22, 31-29 and improve to 13-4 and 3-1 in BIG EAST play.

Maria Pongonis turned in her 12th double-double of the year for the Bearcats (9-6, 3-1 BIG EAST), leading UC with 11 kills and adding 10 digs. Jessie Nevitt had nine kills, while Melissa Zenz recorded 19 digs.

Alona Cherkez led the Wildcats with a match-high 18 kills, while Kacy Sellers tacked on 10 on a stout .471 hitting. Cherkez tacked on 12 digs, while Dana Kabashima added 10.

The opening game was close at the outset but saw UC take a timeout trailing 20-14. Things didn't improve much for the Bearcats as they quickly found themselves trailing by a 24-16 count. Cincinnati was able to get back within three when Lindsey Peterson put down one of her six kills to make it 28-25. But an error by Nevitt and a Cherkez kill closed out game one in Villanova's favor.

Villanova led from start to finish in game two, hitting a robust .606, but still allowing the Bearcats to hit .316. The Bearcats hung close throughout, forcing a Wildcat timeout at 20-19. But out the break, UC would manage just three more points as Villanova scored 10 to seal the 30-22 win.

In game three, a total of 12 ties and five lead changes occurred in a heart breaking defeat for the Bearcats. Following a Villanova timeout, Myanna Hellsten and Erin Maldo combined for a block that put the Bearcats ahead 27-21. The Wildcats marched back to make it 29-27 in favor of the visitors and force a Cincinnati timeout. Out of the stoppage, the Wildcats scored four in a row, capped off by Adrian Semrau's eighth kill to take the victory.

UC will now look for victories in a pair of contests this week. The Bearcats return to Fifth Third Arena to host Western Kentucky on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. UC is next in BIG EAST action a week from today, traveling to Seton Hall for a 2 p.m. contest.