TicketsSept. 19, 2006
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.---Cincinnati used a strong team effort to pick up an important non-conference victory, sweeping Western Kentucky on the Lady Toppers' home floor on Tuesday evening. The Bearcats, who have beaten the Toppers in four straight meetings, improves to 9-2 on the season with the 30-26, 30-27, 30-19 win.
The Bearcats used balance on offense, all five hitters had at least five kills and strong defense, combining for 14 blocks to put away the traditionally strong Lady Toppers. Jessica Elley shook off a slow start to lead the Bearcats with 14 kills, while Jenny Custer tacked on 11. The defense got a match-best nine blocks from Myanna Hellsten and four each from Elley and Jessie Nevitt.
Megan Argabright, the preseason player of the year in the Sun Belt Conference, scorched the Bearcats for 14 kills on .550 hitting to lead WKU (11-6). UC was able to contain WKU's other preseason all-conference selection, Jenna Gideon, as she finished with six kills and four blocks, but hit just -.091.
Defense proved key in Cincinnati's 30-26 game one victory, as the Bearcats held WKU, the Sun Belt Conference's second-best hitting team, to .071 hitting in the frame. The teams traded the lead early in the game, but UC drew to a 13-7 lead on the strength of a 7-1 run. A kill by Hellsten and a Topper error produced Cincinnati's first double digit lead at 22-12, but it wouldn't last long as the home team ripped off four straight to get within six. The Bearcats would go on to take a 28-20 lead, before the collective wheels nearly came off. Western Kentucky scored six of the next seven points to cut its deficit to 29-26. Just one mistake away from defeat, WKU made it as an Argabright served sailed long to give the Bearcats the opening game triumph.
The second game was almost a mirror image of the opener, with both teams making runs, before the Bearcats closed out the 30-27 win. Western Kentucky opened an early 10-9 advantage, but Cincinnati countered with a 7-3 spurt to go in front 16-13. Holding a slim lead later at 21-20, the Bearcats rode the backs of Elley and Hellsten on a 7-2 run that put UC within two points of closing out the game. Each player had a kill and a block, while Hellsten added a second block to put the score at 28-22 Bearcats. As they had in the first game, the Lady Toppers fought back, scoring five of the next six points to get within 29-27. Fate reared its ugly head again, though as Ashley Deignan's serve sailed out of bounds to hand the Bearcats the victory. Both teams improved on their game one hitting with UC going from .190 to .267 and WKU from .071 to .190.
The story of the third game revealed itself early as facing a 7-3 deficit, Cincinnati devastated the Lady Toppers with a 17-1 run that put the Bearcats in the driver's seat. WKU tried to overcome the double digit deficit, but could get no closer than nine. Elley got hot during the frame, tallying eight of her 14 kills during game three.
The Bearcats will now gear up for BIG EAST playing, traveling to Marquette on Friday night for a 7 p.m. CT meeting with the Golden Eagles. UC will also take on Syracuse this weekend, with that match set for Sunday.
Notes
- Series record: Cincinnati leads, 10-3.
- Myanna Hellsten passed Michele Westbeld (1986-89) for fourth place on UC's career total blocks list with 495, four better than the latter's total.
- Hellsten also moved past former teammate Rachel Torblaa for second place on the school's block assists chart with 440. Torblaa (2001-04) finished her career with 437.
- UC extended its win streak over WKU to four straight.