TicketsOct. 29, 2008
BULLS AND HOYAS MAKE WAY TO FIFTH THIRD ARENA: The Bearcats kick off a big weekend of conference match-ups when Cincinnati welcomes USF to Fifth Third Arena for a 7:30 p.m. start on Halloween (Friday, Oct. 31). Following its meeting with the Bulls, Cincinnati welcomes Georgetown for a 2 p.m. match on Sunday, Nov. 2. Cincinnati enters the weekend in sole possession of second place in the BIG EAST, while USF and Georgetown are both tied for sixth place at 5-3.
ELLEY IS THIRD UC PLAYER TO EARN BIG EAST VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Jessica Elley joins fellow senior Jessie Nevitt and sophomore Stephanie Niemer as Cincinnati players who have been selected as BIG EAST Volleyball Players of the Week this season. Elley opened the week recording seven kills and six digs in a three-set win over Morehead State. At Syracuse, Elley carried the Bearcats to a miraculous come-from-behind triumph. The Gilbert, Ariz. native tied a career-high with 24 kills en route to hitting .396. Elley put down five kills in the fifth set, spearheading a comeback from which the Bearcats faced deficits of 8-1 and 13-7. In the final contest of the week at Marquette, Elley recorded a team-high 13 kills and hit at a .409 clip, along with four service aces. For the week, Elley hit .395. The honor marks the second time in Elley's career that she has been named BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Week, with the first occurring on Sept. 4, 2006, after she was named the MVP of the Radisson Hotel Invitational hosted by Bradley University.
HISTORY LESSON: Senior Jessie Nevitt solidified herself as the top blocker in the University of Cincinnati volleyball history during Cincinnati's wins over Syracuse and Marquette this weekend. Nevitt moved ahead of Stephanie Meinig (1997-00) on the career block assists chart and the total blocks chart and she currently owns 528 block assists and 600 total blocks. While her six total blocks versus Marquette gave her 600 career total blocks, her 12 kills against the Golden Eagles also moved her into special company. Nevitt's 12 kills pushed her beyond the 1,400 career kills plateau, making her just the second player in BIG EAST history to have over 1,400 kills and 600 total blocks in a career. The only other player to accomplish the feat was Notre Dame's Lauren Brewster (2002-05), who finished her career with 1,475 kills and 734 total blocks.
SUNAHARA REACHES MILESTONE: With three wins last week versus Morehead State, Syracuse, and Marquette, head coach Reed Sunahara earned his 200th vicory at the helm of the Cincinnati volleyball program. Earlier this season, Sunahara registered his 200th career win in a season-opening victory versus Wright State. Sunahara owns a career record of 219-120 and a 200-80 mark as the Bearcats mentor.
COMEBACK EXTENDS WINNING STREAK: Things did not look good for the Red and Black during Friday's match at Syracuse. Syracuse owned commanding leads in the final set of 8-1 and 13-7. Despite the deficit, Cincinnati remained calm and slowly chipped away at the lead, transferring all of the pressure on the Orange. A sophomore Stephanie Niemer kill made the score 13-8 and brought sophomore Annie Fesl to the service line. Two Orange errors followed by a senior Jessica Elley kill closed the Cincinnati deficit to two points, 13-11. A Syracuse kill gave the Orange a 14-11 edge and three match points to work with. Elley delivered another kill to keep the hope alive for Cincinnati and the kill brought Niemer to the service line. The Bearcats spoiled another match point as Elley and sophomore Lindsay Upton teamed up for a block. Niemer returned to the line and delivered a service ace, tying the set at 14-14. A Syracuse ball handling error followed by another Orange attack error gave the Bearcats an improbable 16-14 deciding set victory. The win was Cincinnati's ninth in a row at that time and it improved the Bearcats record to 2-1 in five-set matches.
BEARCATS RANK AMONG NCAA LEADERS: Cincinnati ranks in the Top 45 in the NCAA in five statistical categories and has four players ranked in the Top 80 in the country in four statistical categories. The Bearcats rank 13th nationally in aces (1.78 sa/s), 21st in kills (13.99 kps), 27th in hitting percentage (.257), 38th in blocks (2.49 bps), and 43rd in assists (12.63 aps). Senior Jessie Nevitt ranks 17th nationally in hitting percentage (.395), and 26th in blocks (1.24 bps). Sophomore Annie Fesl ranks 20th in assists (11.04), while senior Jessica Elley ranks 59th in hitting percentage (.349), and sophomore Stephanie Niemer ranks 78th in service aces (0.39 sa/s).
ABOUT USF: The Bulls enter the weekend with a 15-8 overall record and a 5-3 BIG EAST record. USF is led offensively by BIG EAST kills leader Marcela Gurgel, who averages 4.49 kps. Defensively, Alli Arbogast leads the way averaging 0.98 bps.
THE SERIES WITH THE BULLS: USF holds a 9-7 edge in the all-time series over the Bearcats. Since joining the BIG EAST, Cincinnati is 3-0 versus USF, which includes a 3-0 victory in 2006, which was the last time the teams squared off in Fifth Third Arena.
ABOUT GEORGETOWN: The Hoyas begin a four-match road trip this weekend when they travel to Louisville and Cincinnati. Georgetown owns a 12-9 overall record and a 5-3 BIG EAST mark. The Hoyas are led by Jessica Hardy and Sara Manley, who average 2.77 kps and 2.76 kps, respectively. On the other side of the net, Katherine Niesen averages a team-best 0.87 blocks per set.
THE SERIES WITH THE HOYAS: Cincinnati owns a 5-0 lead in the all-time series with Georgetown. The Bearcats and Hoyas have met just once in Clifton, with Cincinnati registering a 3-0 win in 2006.