TicketsSept. 28, 2008
STORRS, Conn. - In its first five-set match of the season, the University of Cincinnati's volleyball team fell just short to the Connecticut Huskies, 3-2 (18-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 11-15), Sunday afternoon. Connecticut (10-5; 1-1 BIG EAST) had four players post 10-plus kills en route to a .305 team hitting percentage, while Cincinnati (10-5; 0-2 BIG EAST) was led by senior Jessie Nevitt's (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain) 20 kills and sophomore Stephanie Niemer's (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) 12 kills.
The Bearcats fell into an early hole in the first set as three Cincinnati attack errors helped Connecticut take a 6-2 lead. A kill and a service ace from senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) combined with a freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) kill helped the Bearcats close within two points, 7-5, but UConn captured four of the next five points, re-establishing a 10-5 lead. Cincinnati cut its deficit to three points, 16-13, but Cincinnati was unable to muster a comeback as the Huskies went on to take the first set, 25-18.
A see-saw battle characterized the second set until a Harpenau service ace sandwiched between two Nevitt kills pushed Cincinnati in front, 16-13. UConn crept within one point on three occasions before tying the set, 23-23, off a Bearcat miscue. Cincinnati regrouped and a kill by Harpenau followed by a Nevitt smash gave the Bearcats a 25-23 set-two win, tying the match at one set apiece.
In the pivotal third set, neither team took a lead of more than one point until three kills from Connecticut's Jordan Kirk and two Bearcat attack errors catapulted the Huskies in front, 19-14. The Husky cushion was too much to overcome for the Bearcats as UConn took the third set, 25-21.
Trailing 9-7 in the fourth set, five consecutive service aces from Harpenau followed by a Nevitt kill capped a six-point surge that placed the Bearcats in front, 13-9. Still holding on to a four-point lead, 19-15, another Nevitt kill followed by Harpenau's sixth service ace of the set gave Cincinnati its biggest lead of the set, 21-15. Cincinnati went on to win the fourth set, 25-20, sending the Bearcats to their first five-set match of the season.
Behind the serving of Annie Luhrsen and Jessica Isaac, the Huskies built an 8-4 advantage. A freshman Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) kill brought Cincinnati within three points, 13-10, but a Bearcat miscue gave UConn match-point, 14-10. A Husky service error kept the Bearcats alive, but a Chauntay Mickens kill gave UConn a 15-11 five-set victory.
Nevitt paced the Cincinnati offense with 20 kills, falling one kill shy of her career high. Nevitt also hit at a .432 clip for the match. Harpenau finished with six kills, 10 digs, and nine service aces. Harpenau's nine service aces are the second most service aces in a match in UC history, one behind Janet Jaeger's 10 service aces versus Butler on Oct. 10, 1989.
Cincinnati returns home for a pair of BIG EAST matches beginning with DePaul at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 3. The Bearcats then host Notre Dame at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5, which will be televised on ESPNU.