TicketsAug. 28, 2007
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SETTING THE SCENE: After winning the State Farm Bearcats Invitational over the weekend, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team takes to the road for the start of a six-match stretch away from home on Tuesday night (Aug. 28) at Morehead State. First serve in Wetherby Gym is set for 7 p.m. UC (3-0) cruised to the title in its home tournament for the fourth time in five years, dropping just one game in the three matches. Morehead State took one of three matches at its own tournament last weekend to bring a 1-2 record into the match.
NOTING THE BEARCATS:
- UC will try to stretch its streak of 20-win seasons to 13 during the 2007 season. The Bearcats have won at least 20 matches in each of head coach Reed Sunahara's seven seasons.
- In the opening weekend of play, a trio of freshmen rounded out a starting line-up that returned four starters and the libero from last year. Newcomers Annie Fesl, Stephanie Niemer and Lindsay Upton all made immediate impacts for the Bearcats.
- Cincinnati wasted little time achieving offensive balance as the Bearcats put five hitters in double figure kills in the third match of the season vs. Maryland.
- Jessie Nevitt was named BIG EAST Player of the Week after earning the MVP award at the State Farm Bearcats Invitational. The junior averaged 4.50 kills and 1.90 blocks per game for the tournament.
NOTING THE EAGLES:
- Morehead State went 1-2 in its home tournament over the weekend, scoring its lone victory against Towson. The Eagles lost their opener to BIG EAST member West Virginia in five games.
- After finishing last year 21-13, the Eagles were picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference in the preseason. MSU picked up three first place votes and trailed only defending champion Jacksonville State.
- Erin Peak and Katelyn Barbour were preseason selections to the OVC all-conference team.
- Ashley Doscher paced the Eagles offense in the opening weekend with 3.83 kills per game. Peak added 3.33 kills per game on .337 hitting.
NEVITT NABS BIG EAST WEEKLY AWARD: Jessie Nevitt has gotten her junior season off to a fine start as she has been named the first BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Week for the 2007 season. The award comes on the heels of Nevitt being tabbed the State Farm Bearcats Invitational Most Valuable Player over the weekend. Nevitt was in fine form during the tournament, averaging 4.50 kills and 1.90 blocks per game, while hitting .327. This is the third time in her career Nevitt has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week after winning the award twice as a sophomore. In addition, Nevitt was a five-time recipient of the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week award in 2005.
MAKING A FIRST IMPRESSION: The Bearcats' freshmen trio of Annie Fesl, Stephanie Niemer and Lindsay Upton made quite the first impression during their first weekend of collegiate competition. A look at each's first taste of college:
- Fesl averaged 15.50 assists per game and ranks first in the BIG EAST after the opening weekend. In her first collegiate match, Fesl came up just three shy of matching the school record for assists in a three-game match with 55. Two matches later, Fesl set a career-high with 59 helpers.
- Niemer got better in each match of the weekend, finishing the set with 3.30 kills per game. Against Maryland in the tournament final, Niemer tallied 13 kills, added six digs and buried four service aces.
- Upton cracked the starting six in the finale against Maryland and responded with 10 kills on .350 hitting. For the tourney, Upton hit .382 and recorded 18 kills, six digs and five aces.
CUSTER'S LAST STAND: Senior Jenny Custer has been a regular contributor during her Bearcat career and will try to save her best season for last in 2007. Now in her third year as a starter, Custer averaged over three kills and two digs per game in each of the last two years. She showed improved blocking ability with a career-high 1.00 blocks per game. At the start of this year's campaign, Custer had season-highs of 16 kills and 11 digs against Maryland on Aug. 25.
BEARCATS PICKED SIXTH IN BIG EAST POLL: The 2007 preseason BIG EAST Conference coaches poll was a disappointment for Cincinnati as the Bearcats were selected to finish sixth in the league. The mark represented the lowest in-conference ranking the Bearcats have received since Reed Sunahara took over as head coach in 2000. UC finished last year tied for third in the BIG EAST and returns eight letterwinners, including four starters. Notre Dame was a one-point favorite to win the league title over Louisville, with St. John's, Pittsburgh and Marquette rounding out the top five.
NEVITT NAMED TO PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SQUAD: Junior middle blocker Jessie Nevitt was Cincinnati's lone representative on the preseason all-BIG EAST squad, selected by the league coaches. A two-time first team all-league choice, Nevitt led the BIG EAST in blocks per game (1.68) last year and was second with a .367 hitting percentage.
ALL IN THE FAMILY: Volleyball and University of Cincinnati athletics run in the bloodlines of three of the Bearcats' freshmen. Both Kimi Nakamura and Lindsay Upton have brothers that play other sports at Cincinnati, while Annie Fesl's older sister Megan plays volleyball at BIG EAST rival Notre Dame. Nakamura is the younger sister of Haruki, a three-year starter on the UC football team. Upton's older brother A.J., is a senior relief pitcher on the Bearcat baseball squad.
HOME COURT HEROES: Cincinnati has enjoyed a strong home court advantage since the opening of Fifth Third Arena in 1989. In the 17-plus years the building has been in existence, the Bearcats have posted a 151-58 (.722) record at home and are 86-11 (.887) over the past eight-plus seasons. During the program's time in Fifth Third, it has enjoyed two lengthy win streaks, including a school-record 23-match string that ended in 2004. At the time the streak was snapped, it represented the third-longest active streak in the nation. UC's loss to Notre Dame in the BIG EAST Championship on Nov. 17, 2006 snapped the Bearcats' 10-match home court win streak. The Bearcats ended last year with a 13-2 home mark.
DEE-FENSE: The Bearcats' defense, especially along the backline should be a strength this year as UC boasts two accomplished libero candidates on its roster. Sophomore Jaime Frey, the BIG EAST leader in digs in 2006, started this season at libero and averaged 4.10 digs per game in the first weekend. Junior Natalie Dossman, the starter in 2004 and a regular contributor throughout her career, is back to full strength and will see extended time as a defensive specialist where she is averaging 2.50 digs per game. UC dug 17.09 balls per game in 2006, the highest team total since 2000 and the third-best mark in the BIG EAST.
EXPERIENCE MATTERS: For the Bearcats to succeed this season, UC will have to find a way to support all-American Jessie Nevitt offensively. One player with the experience to do that is junior outside hitter Jessica Elley. Elley enjoyed a breakout 2006 season and recently joined the top-10 on the UC career digs per game list with 2.87 per game.
ON THE HORIZON: If all goes according to plan, head coach Reed Sunahara will add another milestone to his coaching resume this season. Now in his eighth-year as the Bearcat boss, Sunahara needs just 17 more victories to reach 200 for his career. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sunahara has guided UC to four NCAA Tournament appearances and three conference regular season titles.