TicketsNov. 18, 2005
LOUISVILLE, Ky.---Cincinnati snapped a three-match losing streak and advanced to its first-ever BIG EAST Tournament semi-final with a four-game win over St. John's on Friday morning at the Kentucky International Convention Center. UC, seeded fourth for the tournament, upended the fifth-seeded Red Storm by scores of 30-22, 30-22, 28-30, 31-29. The Bearcats will now play in a Saturday semifinal against top-seeded Notre Dame.
Cincinnati (19-11) got outstanding performances from its pair of all-conference performers, senior Maria Pongonis and redshirt freshman Jessie Nevitt. Pongonis, a second team All-BIG EAST choice led UC with 19 kills and 20 digs. Nevitt, the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year, finished with 13 kills on .400 hitting and a match-best seven blocks. Erin Maldo chipped in 13 kills for the Bearcats.
"This was a real good win for us," stated Bearcat head coach Reed Sunahara. We had a little bit of a letdown in the third game, but I thought we showed an awful lot of character to bounce back from that. I thought Maria and Jessie really stepped up for us and Doss (Natalie Dossman) and (Melissa) Zenz controlled the back row and gave us opportunities to do things to be successful."
St. John's, which ends the year at 23-9, got 19 kills from first team all-conference selection Hui Ping Huang. UC was able to contain the freshman as she hit just .173 after a slow start. Patti Hardiman and Shameka Mitchell each added 10 kills for the Red Storm.
The first game was tight throughout, but a look at the two team's hitting percentages would show otherwise. Cincinnati outhit St. John's by a convincing .370 to .059 margin in the frame, but couldn't shake the Storm. By game's end, a total of 11 ties and four lead changes had occurred, but a crushing late run by the Bearcats sparked the victory. With the game tied at 18, Maldo dropped her third kill of the game to put the Bearcats in front and spark a quick 4-0 run. St. John's continued to fight, coming back to within 24-22. That would spell the end for the Red Storm as Cincinnati scored the last six points of the game to take the 30-22 triumph.
Game two saw St. John's in early control, building an early advantage of 12-8. The Bearcats once again came back at the Red Storm, devastating St. John's with a game-closing 14-5 run that stared with UC trailing 17-16. Pongonis was particularly strong during the run, accounting for five kills. By game's end, UC had its second straight 30-22 win. The Bearcats hot hitting continued in the frame, as UC outhit St. John's .324 to .125.
Cincinnati threatened to turn the match-up into a rout, running out to a 5-1 lead in game three, fueled by two Pongonis kills. Trailing 8-6, St. John's ripped off six consecutive points to go up 12-8. Despite the early deficit, UC would battle back once again, tying the score on three occasions, the last at 23. But two straight kills by Hardiman and one by Latoya Blunt pushed the Storm into a three-point lead. UC then scored two in a row, with the teams trading the following two points. A Cincinnati error set up game point for St. John's, but UC stayed alive on a Myanna Hellsten kill and a St. John's ball handling error. But that would be it for the Bearcats as Huang put down a kill to end game three, 30-28 in St. John's favor.
The fourth game was another war with 15 ties and seven lead changes. The Bearcats found themselves down by as much as four on several different occasions, the last coming at 26-22. UC then scored five of the next six to even the contest at 27. St. John's then got a Hardiman kill, but UC countered with a block by Jenny Custer and Hellsten and a Natalie Dossman service ace that set up match point. St. John's tied the score on a Bearcat error, but Pongonis then tallied two straight kills to send the Bearcats' into the tournament semi-finals.
A total of four Bearcats ended the match in double figure digs led by Pongonis' 20. Noel Olson had a double-double with 49 assists and 12 digs, while Dossman added 11. Freshman Melissa Zenz saw her streak of double figure matches extended to 30 with 11 digs, drawing her within five of Trish Ladusaw's single season school record.
The Red Storm got a match-best 28 digs from libero Kathleen Yee and 14 from Hardiman. Anicia Wood had six blocks at the net, while Huang finished with five.
As stated, UC will face the winner of Notre Dame and Villanova on Saturday at 1 p.m. in the tournament's first semi-final.