Bearcats To Host Final Weekend Of BIG EAST Play

Nov. 10, 2005

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SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati volleyball team hosts its final BIG EAST matches on the season, when Syracuse and Marquette come to town for a pair of important contests. The Bearcats, winners of six of their last eight matches, are 18-9 overall and tied for fourth with a 9-3 BIG EAST slate. The Syracuse match will take place on Friday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m., with Marquette visiting for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday. Syracuse enters the weekend 23-8 overall and in third place in the BIG EAST at 10-2. Marquette is 15-10, 7-5 and is fighting for the number six seed in the BIG EAST Tournament.

NOTES FROM DAYTON:

• Freshman Melissa Zenz took over second place on the UC single season digs chart, ending the contest with 536 this year. She also recorded her 27th straight match with at least 10 digs, finishing with a match-high 26.
• Senior Maria Pongonis etched her name into the Cincinnati record books, becoming the 11th player in school history with 1,000 kills. Pongonis, ranked 11th on the UC career kills list, needs just 15 more to pass former teammate Rachel Torblaa for 10th.
• The loss to Dayton snapped a six-match win streak the Bearcats held on the Flyers.
• Jessica Elley recorded a career-high 17 digs in just the second start of her career.

ABOUT SYRACUSE: The Orange have won 11 of their last 12 contests, including seven straight BIG EAST matches, to improve to 23-8 overall and 10-2 in league play. Syracuse features a pair of preseason All-BIG EAST selections in seniors Kelly Duan and Kristen Conway. Duan leads the team in kills with 4.31 per game, with Conway just behind at 3.28. On defense libero Joscie Kaup leads the team with 3.89 digs per game. At the net, the Orange, which rank third in the BIG EAST in blocks, get 1.32 per game from Jen Malcom and 1.20 from Katie Allen. Syracuse comes into the weekend holding the number three spot in the league standings and still has an outside chance at the top spot with losses by Notre Dame and Louisville.

ABOUT MARQUETTE: The Golden Eagles have clinched a berth in next weekend's BIG EAST Tournament with a 15-10 overall mark and a 7-5 league record. Marquette has won five in a row, including four straight BIG EAST match-ups. Preseason all-conference selection Theresa Coughlin is Marquette's offensive catalyst, averaging 4.17 kills per game and adding 2.53 digs. Kimberly Todd has won two straight BIG EAST Player of the Week awards, the most recent on the heels of a 35-kill outburst against Seton Hall. Todd averages 3.44 kills per game. On defense, Jamie Mueller (2.83 digs) and Tiffany Helmbrecht (0.92 blocks) are the leaders. UC, which had won seven in a row over MU, was eliminated from last year's Conference USA Tournament by the Eagles.

DIGGING FOR A CURE: On Friday, Nov. 11 vs. Syracuse, the Bearcats will participate in the Dig for a Cure to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Fans attending the match will be asked to pledge an amount for each of the digs that the Bearcats record vs. the Orange. Flat donations will also be gladly accepted. This marks the second consecutive year that UC has participated in the program, which was founded by Charlotte head coach Lisa Marston.

NEVITT A BIG EAST ALL-STAR: Redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt has been the most decorated Bearcat this season, earning multiple awards from the BIG EAST Conference in her first season of collegiate competition. On five occasions, Nevitt has been tabbed the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, with the most recent award coming this week. Nevitt was also named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Oct. 3 and again on Oct. 16. Additionally, Nevitt was named to the All-Tournament Team at the State Farm Bearcat Invitational, presented by the Vernon Manor Hotel.

REGIONAL TALK: The latest regional rankings, compiled by college volleyball guru Rich Kern, have been released and the Bearcats are listed seventh in the Northeast Region. UC, which holds an RKPI ranking of 56 (similar to the RPI used in basketball), trails BIG EAST rivals Louisville and Notre Dame, Ivy League frontrunner Cornell, America East-leading Albany and conference foes Syracuse and Pitt in the region.

HOT HITTING: Twice this season, Jessie Nevitt has put her mark on the UC single-match hitting records with a pair of top-five performances. On Oct. 1 vs. Rutgers, Nevitt hit .654, recording 18 kills with just one error on 26 swings, for the fourth-highest single match performance in program history. She nearly repeated the feat on Nov. 4 vs. South Florida, as she tallied 16 kills with just one error on 23 attempts for a .652 mark. Annisa Blosser holds the record after hitting .793 in 1994.

BLOCKING IT OUT: Lost in the disappointment of the Bearcats' setback to Notre Dame on Oct. 30 was the dominance showed at the net by UC. For the match, the Bearcats totaled 14 blocks, easily the squad's highest total in a three-game contest this year and the most since recording 18.5 against Saint Louis in last year's Conference USA Tournament.

CLOSING IN: With her career at Cincinnati winding down, senior Maria Pongonis has already achieved one important career milestone and has the chance to tally two more. On Nov. 8 at Dayton, Pongonis became just the 11th player in program history to amass 1,000 career kills and she enters this weekend with 1,004 to her credit. Pongonis also has a shot at becoming only the 10th UC player ever with 1,000 digs, as she is 101 shy. Reaching the 1,000-1,000 club would make Pongonis just the sixth Bearcat ever to do so, joining Julie DuPont, Sonja Jackson, Trish Ladusaw, Dani Peterson and Becky Tenkman.

THE NEXT QUEEN?: While she is still over 1,500 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 5.25 digs per game to rank second in the BIG EAST, has 20-plus digs in 13 matches and at least 10 in all 27. Zenz's career-high mark of 34 on Oct. 21 vs. West Virginia missed tying Ladusaw's single match record by just a single dig. 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. On the UC single season charts, Zenz is first in digs per game and second in total digs (536). She needs 57 more to pass Ladusaw for the top spot.

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 135-53 (.718) record at home and are 70-7 (.909) 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 winning 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.

CONFERENCE KILLERS: Since the beginning of BIG EAST play, the Bearcats' offensive numbers have taken a vast jump up from the performance during the non-conference slate. A comparison of UC's conference vs. non-conference statistics:
Stat BIG EAST play Non-conference play
K/G 16.32 14.95
A/G 14.98 13.31
Hit % .241 .226
UC also has several players among the BIG EAST leaders in the conference-only stats.

• Noel Olson leads the conference in assists per game with 13.61.
• Jessie Nevitt is fifth in hitting percentage (.382).
• Melissa Zenz is tied for second in digs per game with 4.95.
• Maria Pongonis is ninth in kills with 3.86 and 10th with 4.39 points per game.
• Jenny Custer is eighth with 0.40 service aces per game.

IN-STATE SUCCESS: Since Reed Sunahara took over as head coach in 2000, UC has enjoyed great success against in-state rivals, holding a record of 16-6 (.727). Ohio State has been the Bearcats' biggest nemesis, winning all three contests. UC has been at its best against Dayton, winning five of six meetings with the Flyers under Sunahara, until UD's Nov. 8 victory. A look at UC vs. the state of Ohio with Sunahara as head coach: Bowling Green (0-1), Dayton (5-0), Kent State (1-0), Miami (3-0), Ohio (0-1), Ohio State (0-3), Wright State (4-0), Xavier (3-0).

BALANCE, BALANCE: Balance has become the name of the game for the Bearcat offense in 2005 as they have put five hitters into double figure kills five times. In four of the contests, Jenny Custer, Myanna Hellsten, Erin Maldo, Jessie Nevitt and Maria Pongonis all reached double digits, with Lindsey Peterson replacing Pongonis in the most recent outburst on Oct. 23 vs. Pittsburgh. Pongonis (twice), Custer and Nevitt (once each) have each taken a turn as team-high honoree, with Custer and Maldo sharing the honor vs. Pitt. In the five matches, UC is averaging 16.91 kills per game and hitting .265, while setter Noel Olson is averaging 13.32 assists per game.

WINNING TRADITION: Cincinnati entered this season hoping to stretch its streak of 20-win seasons to 11 and achieve the feat for the sixth time under head coach Reed Sunahara. By virtue of the Bearcats' win over Western Kentucky on Oct. 5, UC earned its 10th win of the year, stretching that streak to 14 consecutive seasons. UC put another stamp on its winning tradition, capturing the 725th win in program history at DePaul on Oct. 28.

STRONG AT THE NET: Redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt has proven to be a force at the net during the 2005 season and she 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 third in the BIG EAST with 1.38 blocks per game and has recorded at least five blocks in 15 of 27 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 3.71 kills per game. After missing most of the West Virginia and Pittsburgh matches, Pongonis returned to the line-up to spark UC's win over DePaul on Oct. 28. Pongonis has reached double figure kills in all but four matches in which she has played this season, including a season-high 19 against Texas-Pan American, Tulsa and Rutgers and has also added 18 double-doubles. She had one of her best performances on Nov. 4 at South Florida, finishing with 16 kills and 10 digs and hitting a season-high .405. Pongonis has also shown her defensive prowess by twice recording a career-best 23 digs, including in UC's BIG EAST triumph over Connecticut. She ranks second on the squad with 3.52 digs per game.

GOODBYE SENIORS: Following Sunday's match with Marquette, Maria Pongonis, the lone playing member of UC's senior class will be recognized for her outstanding three-year career. In addition, Maddie Barron, a student assistant the last two seasons will also be honored.

MOST IMPROVED: Sophomore right-side hitter Jenny Custer has been the team's most improved player this season with a stellar second collegiate season. This year, Custer is averaging 3.34 kills, 2.14 digs and 0.88 blocks per game, while hitting .269 and tallying the first 10 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 in UC's win over Western Kentucky on Oct. 5, recording a career-high 19 kills and hitting .484. She also leads the team with 41 service aces and is tied for fifth in the BIG EAST with 0.40 per game.

DEFENSE, DEFENSE: After twice breaking school records for most points scored earlier this season, Cincinnati established a new defensive mark in its Oct. 12 win over Morehead State by allowing the Eagles just 46 points in three games. The total matched the effort of a Sept. 14, 2002 win over Austin Peay that set the mark for fewest points allowed in a three-game match since the inception of rally scoring. The -.044 hitting by Morehead also marked the second time this year UC had held an opponent under zero hitting (-.017 vs. Texas-Pan American, Sept. 2). The Bearcats backed up the Morehead effort by holding Wright State to .017 hitting on Oct. 18.

AT THE CONTROLS: Junior Noel Olson has been solid in her second year as the Bearcats' setter, ranking second in the BIG EAST with 12.85 assists per game. She had one of the finest performances of her career on Oct. 23 vs. Pittsburgh nearly missing a triple-double as she set career-highs with eight kills and 14 digs and added 53 assists. This year, Olson has climbed to fifth on UC's career assists list and sixth on the assists per game chart . Olson is averaging 8.51 assists per game in two-plus seasons of action and has registered 2,844 assists to become just the seventh player in school history with 2,000 assists. Olson will next challenge for fourth on the assists chart as she is 216 behind Annie Gant's (1998-99) 3,060.

YOUTH IS SERVED: With Maria Pongonis nursing an injury, sophomore Erin Maldo and freshman Lindsey Peterson stepped into the forefront with outstanding performances in UC's wins over West Virginia (Oct. 21) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 23). In the two matches, the duo averaged 3.67 and 2.33 kills per game, respectively, with each adding the first double-double of their careers. Against WVU, Maldo turned in one of the best performances of her short career, setting a career-high with 17 kills on .324 hitting, then following it up with 16 kills and 10 digs vs. Pitt. Peterson had four aces and four blocks in the WVU match, then came back with career-highs of 13 kills and 12 digs vs. Pitt.

BIG EAST HONOREES: A total of four Bearcats have been named to the BIG EAST's Weekly Honor Roll in UC's first season in the league. A look at the honorees and their performances:

• Jenny Custer (Sept. 19)-4.00 kills, 1.91 digs, 0.64 blocks per game, .441 hitting; 17 kills vs. Jacksonville State; two .500 hitting performances.
• Jessie Nevitt (Oct. 3)-3.58 kills, 1.25 blocks, 0.92 digs per game, .420 hitting; 16 kills, eight blocks vs. IUPUI; 18 kills on .654 hitting vs. Rutgers.
• Nevitt (Oct. 17)-3.86 kills, 1.00 blocks, 0.71 digs per game, .511 hitting; 19 kills on .455 hitting vs. Louisville.
• Erin Maldo (Oct. 31)-4.83 kills, 1.17 blocks, 0.83 digs per game, .387 hitting; 16 kills vs. Notre Dame; 13 kills on .435 hitting vs. DePaul.
• Maria Pongonis (Nov. 7)-5.33 kills, 4.00 digs, per game, .287 hitting; 16 kills, 10 digs on .405 hitting vs. South Florida; 16 kills, 14 digs vs. Georgetown.

SCORING RECORDS: The Bearcats have established or tied a trio of scoring records this season with some offensive explosions. A look at the marks:

• On Sept. 15 vs. Jacksonville State, UC earned a 44-42 game win, setting a record for most points in a game since the inception of rally scoring in 2001. The previous high of 39 came against Wright State on Sept. 14, 2002.
• UC's 104 total points in the JSU match was also a school record for a three-game contest. The old record of 99 had stood since the Wright State match on Sept. 14, 2002.
• On Oct. 5 against Western Kentucky, UC scored a total of 128 points, tying the record for a four-game match. That mark was aided by a 38-36 win, along with a 32-30 loss. The Bearcats tied the mark established on Sept. 29, 2001 vs. TCU.

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.