TicketsSept. 23, 2008
CINCINNATI - In its first match at home in nearly three weeks, the University of Cincinnati's volleyball team extended its winning streak to five matches with a three-set win over IUPUI Tuesday evening. Offensively, Cincinnati hit .368 en route to its fourth consecutive three-set victory.
In the opening set, IUPUI (8-6) took three-point leads on two occasions, but the Bearcats clawed back due to dominant play from senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw). Trailing by one point, 14-15, a kill followed by a solo block from Nevitt put the Bearcats on top, 16-15. With its one-point lead still intact, 20-19, a kill by freshman Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North), a kill by senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert), an IUPUI attack error, and a sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) service ace gave the Bearcats set point, 24-19. Brandl and Elley finished the set off with a block, Cincinnati's fifth of the set, and the Bearcats took the first set, 25-19. Nevitt finished the opening stanza with six kills and three total blocks.
The Bearcats continued to roll early in the second set as three kills by freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother Mercy) helped the Bearcats take a 6-2 advantage. IUPUI closed to within one point, 10-9, until the Bearcats took four of the next five points to climb back ahead, 14-10. With a 15-12 lead, Cincinnati captured eight of the next 10 points to take a commanding 23-14 lead. A Brandl kill followed by a Niemer kill cemented a 25-16 set-two triumph. Harpenau finished the second set with six kills on seven attempts without recording an error for a .857 hitting efficiency.
The Bearcats came out of the ten-minute intermission looking to put away the Jaguars early. Sophomore Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) opened the set behind the service line and ran off eight straight points to put the Bearcats on top 8-0. Even though the Jaguars closed to within three points, 10-7, the Bearcats rebounded and re-established a nine-point lead, 20-11 off a couple of kills from Niemer, Nevitt, and Harpenau. From there, Cincinnati cruised to a 25-18 triumph.
Harpenau finished the match with 11 kills and 12 digs, giving her the first kill-dig double-double of her career and the first kill-dig double-double for any Bearcat this season. Nevitt finished with a team-high 12 kills and hit .625.
Cincinnati opens BIG EAST action on Friday, Sept. 26, when it travels to St. John's for a 7 p.m. tilt. Following their match in Queens, N.Y., the Bearcats head to Storrs, Conn., for a 2 p.m. match with Connecticut on Sunday, Sept. 28.