TicketsNov. 10, 2006
CINCINNATI, Ohio---Jessie Nevitt tied a school record with 13 blocks and added a match-high 16 kills on offense as Cincinnati earned a sweep of Georgetown in BIG EAST volleyball action on Friday afternoon. The victory, by scores of 30-21, 31-29, 30-24, secures the Bearcats' 13th consecutive 20-win season.
Nevitt was dominate, matching teammate Myanna Hellsten's record for blocks in a three-game match and hitting .517 offensively. Hellsten tacked on 12 kills and five blocks, while Jessica Elley registered a career-best nine blocks.
Georgetown got 13 kills and 11 digs from Jessica Buffum, but hit just .137 as a team. The Hoyas drop to 8-18 and 2-11 in the BIG EAST with the defeat.
"It wasn't pretty, but we played well enough to win," UC head coach Reed Sunahara said. "Our middles were excellent today and really kept us in the game. The bottom line though is that we have to get better for Sunday against a good USF team."
Game one wasn't pretty as Cincinnati hit .146, but held the Hoyas to -.023. The Bearcats never trailed in the game, jumping to an early 6-2 advantage. The visitors bounced back, closing to 9-7. Leading by a slim 16-13 margin, Cincinnati scored three straight points, the final on a block by Hellsten and Noel Olson that resulted in a Georgetown timeout. Out of the break, the Bearcats went back to work, scoring six of the next eight points to go in front by double-digits for the first time at 25-15. A kill by Katey Schroeder later finished off the 30-21 win for UC.
The hitting woes of game one disappeared for both teams in game two in a frame that ended with 15 ties and four lead changes. The Bearcats hit a match-best .405, with Georgetown not far behind at .312. The score was tied at 12 until a four-point run by the Hoyas forced a Cincinnati timeout with the Bearcats down four. Georgetown would continue to control the action, taking timeouts, despite leading at 23-20 and 25-24. In the latter stages of the game, the score would be tied on five different occasions, with Cincinnati finally going ahead when Hellsten banged down an Hoya overpass to put the hosts in front 30-29. UC went right back to the senior middle blocker on the next play and Hellsten responded with her seventh kill of the match to give the hosts a 31-29 win.
The third game was another barnburner with Georgetown holding a 12-11 lead, before a 7-1 Bearcat run changed the score to Cincinnati's advantage at 18-13. After a Hoya timeout, the visitors marched right back into the game using an 8-1 spurt to reclaim the lead at 21-19. Cincinnati had another answer as two kills by Jenny Custer highlighted a 5-0 run by the Bearcats that gave them the lead for good. Georgetown would rebound to cut the deficit to one on a block, but Cincinnati scored six of the final seven points of the day to seal the 30-24 win. UC hit just .227 for the game, but held Georgetown to just .100.
Jaime Frey continued her stellar play in league matches with 17 digs to lead all players. Olson had 44 assists, eight digs and four blocks from her setter position for the Bearcats.
Cincinnati closes its second season of BIG EAST action on Sunday, hosting USF at 1 p.m.
Notes
- Series record: Cincinnati leads, 4-0.
- Jessie Nevitt tied teammate Myanna Hellsten's school record for total blocks in a three-game match with 13.
- Hellsten claimed 10th place on the UC career kills list with 1,046. She passes Dani Peterson (1989-92). Next on the list is former teammate Maria Pongonis with 1,065.
- Nevitt tallied her second double-double this season and the third of her career.
- Jessica Elley had a career-best nine blocks.
- Cincinnati extended its home court winning streak to nine.