TicketsOct. 20, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Jessie Nevitt set career-highs and school records, leading Cincinnati to a hard fought four-game BIG EAST win over Seton Hall on Friday night at Fifth Third Arena. The win improves the Bearcats season record to 15-5 overall and 5-3 in BIG EAST play and came by scores of 30-17, 29-31, 30-24, 30-17.
Nevitt was dominating both offensively and defensively in arguably the best match of her short collegiate career. The former BIG EAST Rookie of the Year tallied a career-best 21 kills on .543 hitting, but did even more damage at the net defensively. Nevitt set UC records for most block assists and total blocks in a four-game match, finishing with 14 to also establish a new mark for blocks in any length match.
The Kennesaw, Ga. native wasn't the only Bearcat to do damage to the UC record book as junior Jenny Custer also etched her name in the laurels. Custer tied the record for aces in a four-game match, tying her personal-best with seven. She has totaled 14 aces in her last two matches. Custer filled the stat sheet as in addition to the seven aces; she also had eight kills, six blocks, five digs and three assists.
Nevitt and Custer weren't the only offensive stars for the Bearcats who got 15 kills from Myanna Hellsten and 13 from Jessica Elley. The defense got a career-best six blocks from freshman Katey Schroeder and 22 digs from fellow frosh Jaime Frey. The former added a career-high four aces.
Seton Hall's Tricia Meyers enjoyed a nice return to her hometown with 16 kills on .355 hitting and a team-high four blocks. Allie Matters added 16 kills and a match-best 23 digs, while Breanna Leisner tacked on 12 kills for the Pirates. Seton Hall is 13-10, 2-5 BIG EAST with the defeat.
Cincinnati was focused at the outset and put on a dominating performance in game one, hitting .500 in a 30-17 rout. UC raced to a 9-2 lead, with five points coming with Frey on the service line. The Bearcats kept the Pirates at bay throughout, although the SHU finished the game hitting a respectable .281. In the late stages, UC's lead reached 12 when Elley recorded a solo block to make it 26-14. After a Leisner kill cut the Pirate deficit to 10, UC scored the final three points to finish the win.
As focused as the Bearcats seemed in game one, the opposite was true in the second frame as the Pirates took a 13-8 lead and forced a Cincinnati timeout. Seton Hall continued to pour it on out of the break, forcing a second Bearcat stoppage with the score 20-13. The Bearcats would come back, scoring six in a row to cause a Pirate timeout at 23-21. The seesaw battle continued with Cincinnati getting within one on a Custer kill. UC head coach Reed Sunahara then made a strategic move that paid off, inserting freshman Laurie Weber into the match to serve for Elley. The walk-on came through in the clutch, serving four consecutive points to allow the Bearcats to go in front 28-25. UC got to game point on a Custer kill, but a Bearcat error and a Matters kill evened the score at 29. Meyers then took over for Seton Hall, recording her ninth and 10th kills to send the Pirates into the break even at one game each. SHU outhit UC in the frame by a .302 to .233 count.
The third game was another struggle offensively for the Bearcats, despite winning 30-24. UC hit only .158 in the frame, but did the damage at the net with seven blocks. Seton Hall led early at 8-7, but five straight Bearcat points reversed the score for good. Late in the going, Seton Hall clawed with three at 24-21, but saw Cincinnati score six of the last nine to take the win.
After dominating defensively with five blocks in game three, Nevitt did it offensively in game four to lead UC to victory. The redshirt sophomore hit .700 in the frame, totaling seven kills and adding three blocks for good measure. The score was tied at four early, but changed for good when UC scored eight of the next 10 points. The hosts lead reached double digits for the first time on a Nevitt kill at 24-14 and she added two more later to wrap up the match.
Cincinnati now has a week to prepare for its next challenge, a home meeting with BIG EAST-leading Notre Dame next Saturday, Oct. 28 at 10 a.m. The Irish ended Friday's play in a first place tie with St. John's and will battle the Red Storm with first place on the line this Sunday.
Notes
- Series record: Cincinnati leads, 2-0.
- Jessie Nevitt set school records for most block assists in a four-game match (12), most total blocks in a four-game match (14) and most total blocks in any length match (14). She also added a career-high 21 kills.
- Jenny Custer tied a UC four-game service aces record with seven, matching her career-best.
- Noel Olson earned her fourth double-double of the season and the 16th of her career, while Nevitt added her first in 2006 and second of her career.
- Katey Schroeder set career-highs for attempts (25), service aces (four), block assists (six) and total blocks (six).
- Jaime Frey topped 20 digs in a BIG EAST for the fifth time in eight matches with 22.
- Cincinnati captured its 15th win of the season, marking 13 straight campaigns with at least 15.