TicketsOct. 29, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---A balanced offensive attack helped Cincinnati run its win streak to four as the Bearcats capped off a successful weekend with a sweep of DePaul on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena. The win improves UC's mark to 17-5 overall and 7-3 in BIG EAST play, tying the Bearcats for fourth in the league standings with two weekends of play remaining. With the triumph, UC head coach Reed Sunahara earned the 175th victory of his career.
The Bearcats, winners by scores of 30-17, 30-16, 30-17, hit .316 on the afternoon, placing three players in double figure kills. Jessica Elley, Myanna Hellsten and Jessie Nevitt each tallied 11 kills, marking the second straight match the trio has recorded equal amounts of kills. Nevitt was the defensive star, adding eight blocks, while Elley finished with her 13th double-double of the year with 10 digs.
Cincinnati's defense was stout, holding DePaul to negative hitting in two of three games and a .016 effort for the match. Jaime Frey led all players with 19 digs, giving her a total of 52 in two matches this weekend.
Morgan Ingersoll led DePaul (5-21, 0-10 BIG EAST) with 13 kills, while libero Maureen Zigulich had 16 digs.
"I thought we executed our game plan well and that was key," Sunahara stated. "The momentum of yesterday's win carried over and the kids did a good job of staying focused on the task at hand."
A fast start was the order of the day for the Bearcats as the hosts scored seven of the first eight points of game one. Following a DePaul timeout, the Blue Demons cut their deficit to 8-5, only to see Cincinnati score four in a row to take a seven-point lead. Later, leading by five, the Bearcats rattled off seven straight points, three on Elley kills to open the lead to 25-13. Cincinnati reached game point for the first time at 29-15, but DePaul scored twice before a Denae Gibson service error gave UC the 30-17 victory. UC enjoyed a sizable hitting advantage in the frame, by a .385 to .091 count.
The outset of game two was almost a mirror image of the opener as the early score showed a 9-5 Bearcat advantage. DePaul got to within 15-8, but the Bearcats scored five of the next eight to go in front by nine at a Blue Demon timeout. The Bearcats continued applying the pressure, getting a pair of blocks and two Hellsten aces as part of a 7-2 run that made the score 27-13. DePaul scored three straight down the stretch, but a Blue Demons error ended the 30-16 UC win. Cincinnati's hitting slipped to .211 in the frame, but the defense improved with four blocks which led to a -.019 hitting performance by DePaul.
The Bearcats shook off the rough game two hitting performance, finishing at .350 in the game. UC got off fast as a block by Nevitt and Jenny Custer gave the hosts an early 8-3 lead. Cincinnati led by only four at 10-6, but used a 6-2 run to double up the Blue Demons. A kill by Custer led to a DePaul timeout in the midst of a 4-0 UC spurt that made it a 21-10 game. Two errors later by the Blue Demons caused their second stoppage with a 26-14 deficit. The Bearcats finished the match with consecutive kills by Elley and Nevitt to seal the 30-17 win.
Cincinnati will face a busy week, playing three times in the next seven days. The Bearcats first get a crack at regional foe Dayton at home on Tuesday night, before embarking on their final BIG EAST road trip of the year. The first stop is Pittsburgh for a key match-up with the Panthers, one of three teams tied for fourth in the BIG EAST, on Friday night. UC wraps up the weekend next Sunday at West Virginia.
Notes
- Series record: Cincinnati leads, 23-15.
- UC head coach Reed Sunahara earned the 175th win of his career in his ninth year.
- Jessica Elley recorded her 13th double-double of the season and of her career.
- Cincinnati extended its win streak over DePaul to five in a row.
- DePaul's .016 hitting performance was the second lowest by a UC opponent this year.