TicketsOct. 5, 2008
CINCINNATI - Behind one of the largest crowds in program history, the University of Cincinnati's volleyball team defeated the University of Notre Dame, 3-1 (25-18, 25-22, 17-25, 25-22), to improve to .500 in BIG EAST play Sunday afternoon. Three Cincinnati (12-5; 2-2 BIG EAST) players recorded 10-plus kills, while Notre Dame (8-8; 3-1 BIG EAST) was led by Christina Kaelin's 17 kills.
Trailing by two points early in the first set, 7-5, three kills by freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy), two kills by sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry), and two Notre Dame attack errors capped off an eight-point run that put the Bearcats in front, 13-7. Notre Dame closed to within two points at 19-17, but the Bearcats regrouped and two kills by senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) and a service ace from sophomore Lindsay Upton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) extended the Bearcat advantage to six points, 23-17. After a Notre Dame side out, consecutive kills by senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain) gave Cincinnati a 25-18 set-one win. Cincinnati hit an impressive .577 in the first set.
Nevitt and Niemer notched a kill and a service ace apiece early in the second set, which propelled the Bearcats to a 10-5 second-set cushion. Notre Dame collected itself and closed within two points, 12-10, before Cincinnati took five of the next six points to jump on top, 17-11. Cincinnati held a seven-point lead, 21-14, before the Fighting Irish quickly closed within two points, 22-20. Down the stretch, two Notre Dame service aces and a Nevitt kill gave Cincinnati a 25-22 second set win and sent the Bearcats into the 10-minute intermission up two games to none.
Out of the intermission, the Bearcats and Fighting Irish were unable to create any separation from one another until a five-point Notre Dame spurt in the middle of the set put the Fighting Irish in front, 20-15. The five-point deficit was too much to overcome as the Bearcats dropped the third set, 25-17.
Cincinnati came out in the fourth set and used five Notre Dame miscues to jump in front, 5-3. Notre Dame tied the set on two occasions, with the last occurring at 17-17, before consecutive Harpenau kills down the line and a Notre Dame ball handling error gave the Bearcats a three-point cushion, 20-17. After Notre Dame spoiled two Bearcat match points, a Niemer kill through the seam gave the Bearcats a 25-22 fourth-set triumph.
Nevitt led Cincinnati with 16 kills and she hit .500 for the match. Niemer added 13 kills and Harpenau finished with 10 kills. Harpenau also added nine digs, falling one dig shy of her second kill-dig double-double of the season. Sophomore Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) recorded her second double-double of the season with 42 assists and 15 digs.
Cincinnati continues its home stand when it welcomes inter-state rival Dayton to Fifth Third Arena for a 7:30 p.m. match on Tuesday, Oct. 7.