TicketsOct. 31, 2008
CINCINNATI - For the second time in three matches, the University of Cincinnati's volleyball completed a miraculous comeback as the Bearcats took down the USF Bulls, 3-2 (25-12, 21-25, 21-25, 25-14, 17-15), Friday evening at Fifth Third Arena. The win gave Cincinnati (21-5; 8-2 BIG EAST) its 11th consecutive win and a perfect 11-0 record for the month of October, while South Florida fell to 15-9 overall and 5-4 in the BIG EAST.
Cincinnati jumped out of the gates strong and took an early 10-4 lead in the opening set, forcing an USF timeout. Out of the timeout, back-to-back kills by Niemer widened the Bearcat margin to eight points, 12-4. A kill by the Bulls made the score 14-8, before Cincinnati went on a 4-0 run to expand its lead to 18-8. The run was highlighted by a kill by senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) and a kill and two solo blocks by senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain). From that point, Cincinnati took seven of the final 11 points to win the opening set, 25-12. Niemer tallied seven kills, while Nevitt had three total blocks in the opening stanza.
USF used two kills, a Cincinnati attack error, and a service ace to jump out to a four-point lead, 4-0. Despite the Bearcats closing to within two points, 14-12, the Bulls used a pair of kills to maintain its four-point lead, 16-12, forcing Cincinnati's first timeout of the set. USF's lead reached as many as six points, 21-15, before a kill by Elley, a block by freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) and Nevitt, and a Bull attack error made the score 21-18, forcing an USF timeout. The Bearcats were unable to close any further as the Bulls evened the match with a 25-21 set-two triumph.
The third set remained tight throughout until a pair of Cincinnati miscues put the Bulls on top, 18-16, forcing a Bearcat timeout. The Bulls slowly pulled away and expanded their lead to as many as five points, 23-18. From there, USF took the third set, 25-21.
Cincinnati took a 7-2 lead in the fourth set courtesy of a pair of Harpenau service aces and kills by Nevitt and Niemer. A series of Bearcat blocks helped Cincinnati widen its margin to 10 points, 15-5. The Bearcats had no problem closing out the set as a kill by Niemer and a kill by Nevitt sealed a 25-14 fourth-set victory.
USF was the first to eight points as it took an 8-7 lead when the teams changed sides. Trailing by three points, 14-11, the Bearcats battled back to tie the set twice, with the last at 15-15. Tied at 15-15, Elley hammered home two kills, including the final kill off the block, which secured the come-from-behind 17-15 fifth-set win.
Niemer paced the Bearcats with 21 kills, while Elley, Nevitt, and Harpenau finished with 17, 16, and 13 kills, respectively. Harpenau also added 15 digs, her fifth kill-dig double-double of the season. Nevitt hit at a .516 clip for the match, while Niemer hit .364.
Cincinnati concludes its weekend with a 2 p.m. match versus Georgetown on Sunday, Nov. 2.