TicketsSept. 13, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. - The University of Cincinnati's volleyball team dropped a hard-fought four-set match to tournament host Arizona State in its second match of the ASU Sheraton Invitational Friday evening. Cincinnati (5-3) battled back to win the first set, 29-27, but Arizona State (7-2) took the final three sets, 25-23, 25-16, 27-25.
A tight set characterized the opening stages of the first stanza until an Arizona State attack error and back-to-back kills by senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) and freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) allowed the Bearcats to open up a four-point lead, 14-10. Cincinnati's lead reached as many as five points, 17-12, before the Sun Devils used a four-point run to close within one point, 17-16. After the Sun Devils took a 21-19 lead, the Bearcats tied the match on five occasions, with the last at 25-25, before a block assist by sophomore Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey), sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) and senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw) gave the Bearcats set point, 26-25. The Sun Devils responded with two straight points, giving the Sun Devils set point at 27-26, but a Niemer kill tied the set at 27-27 and consecutive Arizona State attack errors gave the Bearcats a hard-fought 29-27 set-one win. Niemer recorded six kills in the first set to lead Cincinnati, while Fesl controlled the offense with 17 assists.
In set two, the Sun Devils responded from their first-set loss by jumping out on top, 12-8. After closing within one point several times, the Bearcats tied the set at 17-17, but Arizona State was able to re-establish its four-point cushion at 24-20. Facing four set-points, the Bearcats used a kill by Nevitt and back-to-back blocks to close within one point, 24-23, but a Margie Giordano kill gave Arizona State a 25-23 win in the second set.
Cincinnati jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the third set, but that was the last lead the Bearcats held in the set. Holding on to a three-point lead, 15-12, the Sun Devils used a kill and three consecutive service aces by Giordano to balloon its advantage to 19-12. The Bearcats could not overcome the deficit as Arizona State took the third set, 25-16.
Strong play by the Sun Devils ensued in the fourth set as Arizona State jumped out to a 12-7 lead. Behind the serving of Nevitt and Fesl, the Bearcats battled back to tie the set. Trailing 14-10, two kills by freshman Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North), two Arizona State attack errors and a UC block helped the Bearcats knot the game at 15 apiece. With the score still tied, 18-18, consecutive block assists from Elley and Brandl pushed the Bearcats in front, 20-18. Just as the Bearcats took the lead, a pair of Cincinnati miscues followed by a Giordano kill put the Sun Devils back on top, 21-20, forcing a UC timeout. The Bearcats had a chance to send the match to a fifth set as they held set point at 25-24, but a Giordano kill followed by two kills from Sarah Reaves gave Arizona State a hard-fought 27-25 win.
Niemer, Nevitt and Elley collected 13 kills apiece to pace the Bearcats. Junior Jaime Frey finished the match with 17 digs.
Giordano had a match-high 20 kills, while Sarah Johnson posted a match-best 19 digs.
The Bearcats conclude the tournament on Saturday, September 13 at 2 p.m. (ET) versus Montana.