TicketsNov. 16, 2008
CINCINNATI - Behind 13 kills and five blocks from senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain), the University of Cincinnati volleyball team defeated the Rutgers in three sets (25-18, 25-16, 25-17) on Senior Day Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena. The win cappepd off a perfect 14-0 home record for UC and extended the Bearcats winning streak to 15 matches.
Cincinnati's 14 home wins are the most home wins in program history and it also marks the second time in program history that UC has went undefeated at home. The Bearcats' 2003 squad went 13-0 at home.
Seniors Nevitt, Lindsey Peterson (Arlington, Texas/Lamar), Jami Torok (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) and Natalie Dossman (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) all earned starts in their final home match at Fifth Third Arena.
UC used an early five-point spurt, highlighted by two Nevitt kills, to jump on top 7-2 in the opening set. A Nevitt service ace gave Cincinnati its biggest lead of the set, 13-4, before the Scarlet Knights rallied to close within three points, 17-14, forcing a Bearcat timeout.
Nevitt recorded back-to-back kills out of the timeout to widen the UC margin back to five points, 19-14. Down the stretch, a powerful kill down the seam by sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) and a kill by Peterson gave the Bearcats a 25-18 opening set win.
Neither team could shake one another at the start of the second set until consecutive kills by Niemer helped UC take a 12-9 cushion. In front by two points, 14-12, a kill by Peterson followed by a block from Nevitt and freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) gave UC some breathing room, 16-12, forcing a Scarlet Knight timeout.
Out of the timeout, a block by Nevitt and sophomore Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey), kills by Nevitt and Harpenau, and a service ace by sophomore Julie Guenther (Hamilton, Ohio/Badin), widened the UC lead to 20-12. From that point, the Bearcats cruised to a 25-16 second set triumph.
A host of Rutgers errors, three UC blocks, and two Bearcat service aces helped UC take a commanding 14-5 advantage in the second set. Rutgers battled back and closed to within two points, 17-15, but kills by Niemer and Peterson extended the lead to four points, 19-15. In front, 24-17, a kill by Nevitt sealed the 25-17 third set win.
Nevitt led the way with 13 kills, while Niemer added 11 kills. Junior Jaime Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) finished with a match-high 12 digs, while Dossman finished with a season-high 10 digs.
Cincinnati enters the BIG EAST Tournament as the No. 2 seed and it opens tournament play on Friday, Nov. 21, at Fitzgerald Field House in Pittsburgh, Pa.