TicketsSept. 24, 2006
, --- shook off a slow start, rebounding for a four-game win in BIG EAST volleyball action at on Sunday afternoon at Manley Field House. The win was far from easy as the Bearcats battled through a 25-30, 30-19, 30-16, 30-23 match-up. improves to 10-3, 1-1 BIG EAST with the win, while slips to 3-15, 0-2.
Jenny Custer and Myanna Hellsten led the way for with 22 and 17 kills, respectively. The totals were career-highs for both players. Jessica Elley added 17 kills and 19 digs, while Jessie Nevitt tacked on 14 kills and Lindsey Peterson had 10.
The UC defense was paced by Jaime Frey's career-best 29 digs and five blocks from Nevitt. Peterson added four blocks for the Bearcats. Noel Olson dished out a career-best 67 assists in the win for UC.
got 20 kills from Cheryl Cobbina, while libero Joscie Kaup led all players with 31 digs.
could never recover from a 10-2 hole it dug itself early in game one, despite a spirited rally. After the raced out to the eight-point lead, the Bearcats marched right back in the game, courtesy of a 7-0 run that trimmed the deficit to one. UC battled, knotting the score at 18 when Custer connected on a kill. would counter with three straight, two on aces by Kaup to retake the momentum. The later ran off another 3-0 run to take the advantage at 25-23. UC got within two on an Elley-Nevitt block, but the scored the final three points of the game, two on Cobbina kills to seal the 30-25 victory.
The second game was a tight battle until the midway point, when trailing 15-14, the Bearcats exploded on an 11-1 run to take a lead they would not relinquish. Elley, Custer and Hellsten were at the center of the outburst as the former had two aces and a kill and the latter duo each had a pair of kills. Syracuse would get as close as seven, but the Bearcats countered with five of the last six points of the game to even the match at a game apiece with the 30-19 triumph.
The Bearcats dominated game three, rolling to a7-3 lead and never glancing in the rearview mirror. Holding a five-point lead, the Bearcats scored five straight, three on Nevitt kills and two on kills by Elley to open a 16-6 advantage. Later, three Nevitt kills spurred a 5-0 Bearcat surge that doubled up the at 26-13. An Elley kill sandwiched around two by Hellsten locked up the 30-16 UC victory. UC was red hot in the frame, hitting .500, including an .857 mark by Nevitt and a .625 effort by Hellsten.
gave all it wanted in game four, before the Bearcats came out on the right end of the 30-23 decision. The score was tied for within a point almost all the way through, before finally opened a lead of 21-18. From there, Custer took over the match, totaling kills on six of 's final nine points of the afternoon.
The Bearcats are back in action next Friday, traveling to for the start of another BIG EAST weekend. UC will also travel to next weekend.
Notes
§ Series record: Tied, 2-2.
With three total blocks, Myanna Hellsten passed Bonita Wise for second place on UC's career list with 499. Hellsten's total is one better than Wise's.