TicketsOct. 26, 2007
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J.---A balanced Cincinnati offense helped the Bearcats get back in winning form, as they picked up a sweep of Rutgers on Friday night at the College Avenue Gym. The 30-20, 30-15, 30-27 victory snaps UC's five-game losing streak and vaults them back into the top-five in the BIG EAST race.
Jessie Nevitt was one of many offensive stars for the Bearcats (15-9, 6-4 BIG EAST), finishing with 14 kills on .542 hitting. Stephanie Niemer and Lindsay Upton both added 11 kills, while Jenny Custer had 10.
Kyra Thompson led Rutgers (3-16, 1-8 BIG EAST) with 14 kills, while Lauren Voss added 10. Defensively, the Scarlet Knights, who finished with 10 team blocks, got six each from Brittany Scroggins and Danielle Lerch.
The Bearcats got the night off on the right foot, doubling the Scarlet Knights up at 16-8. Rutgers went to work at the net to get back in the match, scoring blocks on three of the next four plays to cut its deficit to four. The Knights did little to sustain their momentum though, committing two errors on the next four points to again fall behind by eight. Leading by a 22-16 count, UC got three kills and a block by Niemer and two Upton kills to spark a 6-1 run that put them in the driver's seat. Rutgers stayed alive with three straight points, but committed a service error to give the Bearcats game point. UC completed the win with Upton's fifth kill of the game.
Cincinnati had little trouble cruising through game two with a .471 to .065 hitting advantage. After falling behind 4-3, three kills by Nevitt sparked a 7-0 Cincinnati run that pushed the visitors into the lead for good. The spurt was a small part of a 12-1 run that gave the Bearcats a 10-point lead. Cincinnati continued to put the heat on throughout the frame, with three straight kills by Nevitt helping the Bearcats close out the triumph.
The third and final game would prove to be a little more of a challenge for the Bearcats as Rutgers forced 10 tie scores and six lead changes. With the score tied at 10, two aces by Annie Fesl helped Cincinnati score four consecutive points. Voss helped Rutgers back into the game with three kills that led the hosts to a 16-15 advantage. But a Custer kill and four straight by Nevitt pushed Cincinnati back in front by four. Back and forth the score would go from there, with a Voss kill putting the Bearcats behind by a 25-23 count. Despite the deficit, UC was able to respond; closing out the match with a 7-2 run that sealed the win. Custer came up big down the stretch, connecting on a pair of kills with UC leading by one each time.
Jaime Frey led the Cincinnati defense with 15 digs, while Fesl dished out 40 assists from her setter position. Jamie Godfrey paced Rutgers with a match-best 16 digs.
Cincinnati, after five straight on the road, will return home for the final two home contests of the 2007 next weekend. The Bearcats host Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon, with West Virginia coming in for Senior Day on Sunday. Both matches start at 2 p.m.