TicketsAug. 25, 2006
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SETTING THE SCENE: The 2006 volleyball season begins at the University of Cincinnati with the fourth annual State Farm Bearcats Invitational presented by the Vernon Manor Hotel. A total of four teams, including preseason No. 10 UCLA will join the Bearcats in the tournament field with play getting underway today at Noon. Joining the Bearcats and Bruins will be Maine, Tennessee Tech and Western Michigan. The Bearcats enter the 2006 season on a mission to return to the NCAA Tournament after a two-year hiatus. UC finished the 2005 campaign with a 20-12 record, marking the program's 11th straight 20-win season.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The 2006 State Farm Bearcats Invitational presented by the Vernon Manor Hotel will bring together five squads from across the nation as UC, Maine, Tennessee Tech, Western Michigan and No. 10 UCLA converge on Fifth Third Arena. UCLA is the most storied of the group, having won six national championships. The Bruins were 20-11 last season. Western Michigan was another 20-win club, finishing the year at 20-9. Tennessee Tech finished last year at 7-22, while Maine was 11-12. The schedule for the weekend is as follows:
Friday, Aug. 25
Tennessee Tech vs. Maine, Noon
Maine vs. Western Michigan, 3:30 p.m.
Western Michigan at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26
UCLA vs. Tennessee Tech, 10 a.m.
Tennessee Tech vs. Western Michigan, 2 p.m.
Maine at Cincinnati, 5 p.m.
Western Michigan vs. UCLA, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 27
UCLA at Cincinnati, 1 p.m.
NOTING THE BEARCATS:
- The Bearcats return five starters from a 20-12 team last season, including honorable mention All-American Jessie Nevitt.
- UC will be in search of its first-ever win against both UCLA (0-2) and Western Michigan (0-6). The Bearcats have never faced Maine on the volleyball court.
- Cincinnati was selected third in the preseason BIG EAST coaches poll, with Nevitt, Jenny Custer and Noel Olson all earning berths on the all-conference squad.
BEARCATS TABBED THIRD IN BIG EAST POLL: The 2006 preseason BIG EAST Conference coaches poll was good to Cincinnati as the Bearcats were tabbed third. After a 20-12, 9-3 BIG EAST campaign that saw UC finish tied for fourth in the league, the Bearcats were picked one spot higher for the 2006 season, while also garnering one first place vote. Notre Dame was a narrow choice to win the league title by eight points over Louisville. The Fighting Irish earned eight first place votes to six for the Cardinals. St. John's and Pittsburgh round out the top-five.
BEARCATS DOMINATE PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SQUAD: A total of three Bearcats earned spots on the preseason All-BIG EAST squad, giving UC a league-high total. Redshirt sophomore Jessie Nevitt, last season's conference rookie of the year, was a unanimous choice for the team. She ended last season averaging 3.11 kills and 1.38 blocks per game and hitting .337. Joining her on the team were senior setter Noel Olson and junior right-side hitter Jenny Custer. Olson finished second in the BIG EAST last season averaging 12.63 assists per game. Custer enjoyed a career-year with personal highs of 3.13 kills and 2.00 digs per game.
OFFENSE BACK IN FORCE...: Despite the graduation of Maria Pongonis and the injury sustained by Erin Maldo, the Bearcats return lots of offensive firepower this year. Not counting Maldo's contributions, a total of 63 percent of last season's kills will be back in action this fall. All three of the Bearcats top hitters in Jessie Nevitt (.337), Jenny Custer (.250) and Myanna Hellsten (.243) are also returning.
...DEFENSE NOT SO MUCH: In 2005, UC averaged 16.58 digs per game, the program's highest total since 2002. With the losses of Maria Pongonis and Melissa Zenz, the Bearcats will have some work to do to match that total this year. The aforementioned duo combined for just over half of all of UC's digs last season. Natalie Dossman, the starter at libero in 2004 and Jaime Frey, a talented freshman newcomer, will be counted on to step in this year. Both players are in the running for the starting libero job as well as a defensive specialist position.
TOURNAMENT SUCCESS: Since the Bearcats Invitational was reintroduced in 2003 after a 13-year hiatus, Cincinnati has dominated the event, winning all three tournament titles, posting a perfect 9-0 record in matches and a 27-2 games mark. Continuing that success will be tough as the 2006 edition of the event features arguably the top tournament field in the history of the event, capped off by preseason No. 10 UCLA.
READY FOR MORE: As impressive as the 2005 season was for Jessie Nevitt, this year could be even better as she hits the court for her second full year. Nevitt was a dominator in the BIG EAST as a redshirt freshman, earning the league's rookie of the year award and winning a conference-record six conference rookie of the week awards. She went one step further in the awards department, being honored as an all-conference first team selection and an honorable mention All-American. Statistically, Nevitt was remarkable, cracking the top-10 on UC's single season lists in hitting percentage (7th-.337), block assists (9th-139), total blocks (T8th-165) and blocks per game (6th-1.38).
IN GOOD HANDS: The setter position is once again in good hands with senior Noel Olson back for a third-year as a starter. The preseason All-BIG EAST selection has shown steady improvement each year, capped off with a career-best 12.63 assists per game average last season. That total ranked Olson second in the BIG EAST and seventh on UC's single season chart. Olson will also go down as one of the top setters in program history, as she enters the season ranked fifth in school history in career assists. Her total of 3,049 is just 11 back of Annie Gant (1998-99) for fourth place.
SWEET REVENGE?: In addition to trying to win for the first time ever against head coach Reed Sunahara's alma mater of UCLA, the Bearcats will also be looking for redemption from a close defeat last season. At the Waikiki Beach Marriott Challenge in Hawaii on Sept. 9, 2005, the Bearcats lost a heartbreaker to the then-10th ranked Bruins. UC erased a two games to one deficit in the match, then jumped to an 8-5 lead in the deciding game five. The upset was not to be however, as the Bruins closed out the victory with a 10-1 run to end UC's hopes.
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 win streaks, including a school-record 23 match string that ended in 2004. At the time the streak was snapped, it represented the third-longest active streak in the nation.
POLL TALK: The preseason CSTV/AVCA top-25 coaches poll shows Cincinnati drawing two votes. Bearcats' opponents in the rankings include UCLA (No. 10), Louisville (No. 12) and Notre Dame (No. 21), along with Colorado, Dayton and Western Kentucky each receiving votes.