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Bearcats Close Schedule At Kentucky

Bearcats Close Schedule At KentuckyBearcats Close Schedule At Kentucky

Nov. 22, 2005

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SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati volleyball team wraps up its 2005 regular season when it travels to Kentucky on Saturday, Nov. 26 for a 6 p.m. match-up. The Bearcats need a win in their quest for a berth in the NCAA Tournament, as they hold an overall record of 19-12. A victory would assure UC of its 11th straight 20-win season. In last weekend's BIG EAST Tournament, the Bearcats advanced to the semifinal, before being eliminated by eventual champion Notre Dame. Kentucky comes into the match-up at 17-10, after falling to Arkansas in the opening round of the SEC Tournament over the weekend.

NOTES FROM THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT:

  • With its win over St. John's in the opening round, the Bearcats advanced to the semifinals of their conference tournament for the ninth time in the last 11 years and for the first time in their as BIG EAST members. UC has been to a conference semifinal five times in head coach Reed Sunahara's six-year tenure.
  • Freshman libero Melissa Zenz broke the Cincinnati single season digs record with 12 digs in the semifinal match vs. Notre Dame. Zenz's total of 600 tops Trish Ladusaw's mark of 593 from 2000.
  • Maria Pongonis climbed to ninth place on UC's career kills list with 12 during the Tournament. Pongonis passed Dani Peterson and has a total of 1,049 to her credit.
  • Noel Olson rose to seventh on UC's single season assists chart, moving up two spots during the BIG EAST Tournament. Olson's total of 1,463 is only 23 behind Laura Lauder for sixth on the list.
  • UC's -.057 hitting performance against Notre Dame marked the first time since the inception of rally scoring in 2001 that the Bearcats hit negative for a match.

ABOUT KENTUCKY: The Wildcats enter the match-up with the Bearcats at 17-10 overall and having lost three of their last four contests. After defeating Arkansas on Nov. 13, Kentucky was eliminated from the SEC Tournament just five days later by the Lady Razorbacks. UK is led by second team all-conference selection Danielle Wallace who leads the squad with 4.40 kills per game. SEC All-Freshman Team choice Queen Nzenwa tops the squad with 1.36 blocks per game and is hitting .280. Other standouts for the Wildcats include Amy Kaplan, who is averaging 3.13 kills per game and hitting .362, and libero Jenni Casper, who paces the squad with 5.02 digs per game. Kentucky will be trying to build upon a 13-match win streak over UC in the first meeting between the schools since 1996.

REGIONAL TALK: The latest regional rankings, compiled by college volleyball guru Rich Kern, have been released and the Bearcats are listed sixth in the Northeast Region. UC, which holds an RKPI ranking of 55 (similar to the RPI used in basketball), trails BIG EAST rivals Louisville, Notre Dame and Syracuse, America East-leading Albany and Atlantic 10 Champion Dayton in the region.

CONFERENCE STANDOUTS: A pair of Bearcats were named to the 2005 All-BIG EAST teams, announced prior to the start of the conference tournament. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Jessie Nevitt was named to the league's first team, as well as earning Rookie of the Year honors. Senior outside hitter Maria Pongonis was tabbed as a second-team all-conference player. Nevitt's selection of the Rookie of the Year keeps alive a strong tradition of excellent freshmen for UC, as six Bearcats have been selected conference rookie or freshman of the year since 1994.

DIGGING IT UP: The Bearcats are enjoying one of their best defensive seasons since the inception of the libero rule in 2002. After ranking 11th and seventh in digs the past two seasons in Conference USA, the Bearcats are listed third in the latest BIG EAST team rankings. UC averaged just 14.27 digs per game last year and has improved the count to 16.43 this year, matching the output of the 2003 squad.

THE NEXT QUEEN?: While she is still nearly 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 a school record 5.17 digs per game to break Ladusaw's season record and rank second in the BIG EAST. Zenz has also broken the record for most digs in a season with 600 and has 20-plus digs in 15 matches and at least 10 in all 31. 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.

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, including Rookie of the Year. On five occasions, Nevitt was tabbed the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, with the most recent award coming on Nov. 7. Her five awards were the most by a BIG EAST rookie since Jennifer Ward of Georgetown picked up five in 2000. 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.

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, entering this week with 1,049 to her credit. On the UC career list, Pongonis ranks ninth, trailing Annisa Blosser (1993-96) by 95. Pongonis also has a shot at becoming only the 12th UC player ever with 1,000 digs, as she is 53 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, Peterson and Becky Tenkman.

BEARCAT SIGNEES: The early signing period has netted the Bearcats a pair of local stars as the first two members of UC's Class of 2006. Joining the team next year will be Cincinnati products Jamie Frey (Roger Bacon) and Katey Schroeder (McNicholas). Frey is a 5-8 libero and outside hitter, while Schroeder is a 6-1 middle blocker.

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.

CONFERENCE KILLERS: With the BIG EAST season now complete, the Bearcats have several players listed in the final conference-only statistics. A look at those players:

  • Noel Olson leads the conference in assists per game with 13.35.
  • Jessie Nevitt is sixth in hitting percentage (.353) and ninth in points per game (4.37).
  • Melissa Zenz ranks second in digs per game with 5.08.
  • Jenny Custer is tied for eighth with 0.36 service aces per game.

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 3.13 kills, 2.00 digs and 0.81 blocks per game, while hitting .248 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 42 service aces and is tied for sixth in the BIG EAST with 0.39 per game.

AT THE CONTROLS: Junior Noel Olson has been solid in her second year as the Bearcats' setter, ranking second in the BIG EAST with 12.61 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 8.61 assists per game in two-plus seasons of action and has registered 2,996 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 64 behind Annie Gant's (1998-99) 3,060.

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 135-55 (.711) record at home and are 70-9 (.886) 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. UC's defeats on Nov. 11 and 13 to Syracuse and Marquette marked the first time the Bearcats had dropped back-to-back home contests since falling to Butler on Nov. 8, 1998 and Xavier on Sept. 1, 1999.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 fourth in the BIG EAST with 1.39 blocks per game and has recorded at least five blocks in 17 of 31 contests.

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.

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 3.65 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 five matches in which she has played this season, including a season-high 19 against Texas-Pan American, Tulsa, Rutgers and most recently in the BIG EAST quarterfinals vs. St. John's. She has also added a team-best 21 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. Against St. John's, Pongonis led the Bearcats in both kills (19) and digs (20). 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 3.51 digs per game.

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.

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.