TicketsSept. 19, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) collected 14 kills and hit a career-high .538 as the University of Cincinnati's volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 victory over Ball State in the opening match of the TIS Bookstore Indiana Invitational. As a team, Cincinnati (7-3) hit at a .385 clip, while holding Ball State (3-9) to a .115 hitting percentage.
In the opening set, neither Ball State nor Cincinnati could pull away from one another in the early stages as the largest lead from either team was two points. With the Bearcats holding on to a one-point lead, 16-15, the Bearcats used three Ball State errors, a kill by Niemer, a kill by senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain) and a block by Nevitt and sophomore Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) to build a commanding 22-15 advantage. A Bearcat service error ended the run and made the score 22-16, but a kill by Nevitt, a kill by freshman Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) and a Cardinal miscue gave Cincinnati a 25-16 opening-set triumph.
The Bearcats and Cardinals battled in the second set just as they had in the first. Neither team held a lead of more than two points until the Bearcats took a 19-16 lead. Ball State closed within two points at 22-20, but a Cardinal attack error followed by a Niemer kill gave UC set-point, 24-20. Cincinnati quickly capitalized as a solo block by Nevitt handed the Bearcats a 25-20 win.
Unlike the first two sets, Cincinnati used three blocks and two kills apiece from Niemer and Brandl to jump out to an 8-1 advantage. Ball State quickly crawled within three points, 8-5, but Cincinnati responded by taking six of the next seven points to re-establish a comfortable six-point lead, 14-6. With an eight-point lead still intact, 20-12, two kills apiece by freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) and Brandl helped close out the Cardinals, 25-14. Harpenau and Brandl each recorded five kills apiece in the final set.
Niemer finished with 14 kills on 26 attempts, without recording an error, for a .538 hitting percentage. Harpenau finished one kill shy of her first collegiate kill/dig double-double, concluding the match with nine kills and 10 digs. Brandl also added nine kills for UC.
Cincinnati returns to the floor later today when it takes on George Mason at 5:30 p.m.