TicketsSept. 5, 2008
HONOLULU - Behind 16 service aces, the University of Cincinnati's volleyball team rallied for a four-set win over Wyoming (17-25, 25-9, 25-18, 25-14) in its opening match of the Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge Thursday evening. Wyoming (0-4) hit .409 in the first set, but Cincinnati (4-0) forced the Cowgirls into a .005 hitting percentage for the remainder of the match.
Cincinnati got off to a sluggish start in the first set as seven attack errors and three service errors put the Bearcats in a 20-12 hole. Service aces from sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) and senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw) helped the Bearcats climb within five points, 16-21, but a Wyoming kill and two more Bearcat errors gave the Cowgirls set-point at 24-17. A kill from Wyoming's Dani Bedore gave the Cowgirls a one set to zero advantage. Wyoming hit .409 in the opening set, while Cincinnati hit at a -.100 clip.
The Bearcats regained their composure and jumped out to a commanding lead in the second set. With a four-point lead, 8-4, the strong serving of freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) led Cincinnati on a 6-0 scoring run that put the Bearcats in front, 14-4. With its 10-point lead still in tact, 16-6, two Nevitt kills sandwiched around back-to-back service aces from senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Az./Gilbert) put the Bearcats in front 20-6. From there, Cincinnati cruised to a 25-9 set-two win to tie the match at one set apiece. Contrary to the first set, Cincinnati hit .667 in the second set knocking 15 balls to the floor while committing only one error.
Two service aces by Elley and four Wyoming errors helped the Bearcats jump out to an early four-point lead, 7-3, in the third set and Cincinnati maintained that lead all the way into the media timeout, 15-11. After four consecutive side outs, two Cowgirl attack errors and a service ace from freshman Kelsey Brandl (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) gave Cincinnati its biggest lead of the set, 21-14. A kill by Niemer cemented a 25-18 set-three win that put the Bearcats in front two sets to one.
A kill by Niemer followed by Elley's fifth service ace of the match and two Wyoming attack errors catapulted the Bearcats out to a 4-0 advantage in the fourth set. Wyoming trailed by four points, 8-4, until four consecutive Cowgirl points tied the set at 8-8. Just as the Cowgirls tied the set, the Bearcats retaliated with four points of their own to re-establish a four-point cushion, 12-8. Holding on to a two-point lead, 14-12, Niemer held serve for eight straight points to extend the Bearcat lead to 10 points, 22-12. Needing just one more point to extend its winning streak to four matches, it was only fitting that Nevitt served up Cincinnati's 16th service ace of the match to take the fourth set, 25-14.
Niemer led the way with 11 kills, but Nevitt posted nine kills while hitting .471 for the match. Elley and Harpenau added seven kills and six kills, respectively, along with five service aces apiece.
Cincinnati has a day off before it plays No.12 Minnesota in its second match of the Honolulu Advertiser Volleyball Challenge on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 5 p.m. (ET).