TicketsSept. 6, 2006
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SETTING THE SCENE: The University of Cincinnati volleyball team will try to capitalize on the momentum it gained from winning last weekend's Radisson Hotel Invitational, travelling to Boulder, Colo. for the Colorado Invitational this week. The Bearcats improved to 5-1 on the young season with a trio of three-game wins at Bradley. UC will face another stiff challenge this weekend, battling the host Buffaloes, former Conference USA foe Southern Miss and Central Connecticut State. Action gets underway on Thursday (Sept. 7) with UC and Colorado taking to the court at 7 p.m. MT.
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The tournament field for the 2006 Colorado Invitational includes the Bearcats and the host Buffaloes, along with Central Connecticut State and Southern Miss. Central Connecticut State is 3-0 after winning Marist's tournament last weekend. Colorado won its opener against Denver, but dropped all three last weekend in Hawai'i, including a match-up with past UC foe UCLA. Southern Miss is 4-4 after a win over South Alabama on Tuesday. The schedule for the tournament is as follows:
Thursday, Sept. 7
Cincinnati at Colorado, 7 p.m. MT
Friday, Sept. 8
Southern Miss vs. Central Connecticut, 11 a.m. MT
Cincinnati vs. Southern Miss, 5 p.m. MT
Central Connecticut at Colorado, 7 p.m. MT
Saturday, Sept. 9
Southern Miss at Colorado, 11 a.m. MT
Cincinnati vs. Central Connecticut, 1 p.m. MT
NOTING THE BEARCATS:
- Senior Myanna Hellsten climbed past Becky Tenkman (1995-98) for fourth place on UC's career block assists chart. She finished the weekend with 407 to her credit.
- Jessica Elley was named most valuable player of the Radisson Hotel Invitational and was joined on the all-tournament team by Jenny Custer and Jessie Nevitt.
FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: The high altitude of Colorado will bring together a reunion of sorts for UC head coach Reed Sunahara. The list of those with ties to Sunahara is long, starting with Southern Miss head coach Ricci Luyties and Colorado volunteer assistant Andy Klussmann, both former teammates at UCLA. Another CU assistant, Erik Sullivan, played under Sunahara at UCLA, while Buffaloes head coach Pi'i Aiu competed against Sunahara during their high school days in Hawai'i.
BEARCATS' BLOCK PARTY: Cincinnati hosted a block party during the Radisson Hotel Invitational (Sept. 1-2), averaging 5.33 blocks per game during the weekend and setting or matching several school records. The weekend started with Jenny Custer and Myanna Hellsten each matching the school record for block assists in a three-game match with 10 against Austin Peay. A day later, Hellsten put her own stamp on the mark with a record 12 in a three-game sweep of Bradley. In the match, UC broke three-game marks for most total blocks (22.0) and block assists (36). Hellsten's 13 total blocks also matched a record for most in any match. UC is now ranked first in the BIG EAST at 4.12 blocks per game, with Hellsten (1st-2.15), Jessie Nevitt (6th-1.55) and Custer (8th-1.40) all among the league leaders. On the national scene, UC is ranked second in the country behind Penn State, while Hellsten leads all players in blocks per game.
THE NEW KID IN TOWN: Sophomore Jessica Elley is on the fast track to stardom with her play in 2006. Following in the footsteps of her predecessors at outside hitter, Julie DuPont and Maria Pongonis, Elley is averaging a team-best 4.15 kills per game, along with 3.75 digs and 1.20 blocks per game. She had a career-best 21 kills against UCLA on Aug. 27 and nearly had a triple-double against Bradley on Sept. 2 with 13 kills, 11 digs and seven blocks. Elley was named to the all-tournament team at the State Farm Bearcats Invitational and was tabbed the MVP of the Radisson Hotel Invite, along with a BIG EAST Player of the Week award on Sept. 2.
IN GOOD HANDS: The setter position is once again in good hands with senior Noel Olson in her third-year as a starter. The preseason All-BIG EAST selection has shown steady improvement each year and got her season off to a strong start, averaging 12.10 assists per game this season, to rank fourth in the BIG EAST. Olson will go down as one of the top setters in program history, as she ranks fourth in school history in career assists (3,291) and sixth in assists per game (8.85). Her assists total is 213 back of Mindy Backus (1986-88) for third place.
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 five BIG EAST 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. She has gotten 2006 off to a good start, earning a spot on the State Farm Bearcats Invitational and Radisson Hotel Invitational All-Tournament teams after averaging 2.65 kills and 1.55 blocks per game while hitting .352.
THE YOUNG GET YOUNGER: With Natalie Dossman lost for the season, an already young Bearcats' squad will get younger with freshman Jaime Frey now assuming the starting libero position. The Cincinnati-native has proven she cah hold her own since taking the starting nod, averaging 4.10 digs per game. She was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Aug. 28 after a career-best 26 digs against No. 10 UCLA.
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 137-56 (.710) record at home and are 72-10 (.878) over the past seven-plus 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.
CUSTER'S CONTRIBUTIONS: Junior Jenny Custer has been a solid contributor to UC's success this season, ranking second on the team with 2.80 kills per game and adding 2.10 digs. An improvement in blocking has also been key, as Custer ranks eighth in the BIG EAST at 1.40 per game. She turned in the biggest blocking outing of her career on Sept. 1 against Austin Peay, tying a then-school record with 10 block assists in a three-game match. Offensively, Custer has contributed double-figure kills in four of UC's six matches this season.
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.