TicketsNov. 21, 2008
PITTSBURGH - The University of Cincinnati's volleyball team held a two sets to none lead, but the University of Pittsburgh rallied back to defeat the Bearcats in five sets (25-18, 25-16, 21-25, 14-25, 10-15) Friday evening at Fitzgerald Field House in the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. The loss snapped the Bearcats 15-match winning streak, giving UC its first loss since Sept. 28.
The Bearcats looked sharp out of the gates as two kills apiece by freshman Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) and senior Jessie Nevitt (Kennesaw, Ga./Kennesaw Mountain), and a Cincinnati block catapulted UC on top 11-4 in the opening set. In front by a nine-point margin, 16-7, Cincinnati went on a 5-0 run, which was capped off by a senior Jessica Elley (Gilbert, Ariz./Gilbert) service ace, to take a 21-8 lead. Pittsburgh used two four-point spurts to cut its deficit to six points, 24-18, forcing UC to use its second time out of the set. Out of the timeout, an attack error by the Panthers gave the Bearcats a 25-18 set-one triumph.
In front by one point, 8-7, in the second set, UC went on a four-point run to open up a 12-7 lead. Two kills by Nevitt pushed the Bearcats in front, 19-11, before sophomore Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) and Harpenau closed out the set. With a seven-point lead, 20-13, two kills and a service ace by Niemer extended the Bearcat lead to nine points, 23-14, before two kills by Harpenau closed the door on a 25-16 set two win.
UC erased an early four-point deficit in the third set to tie the set at 7-7, before a four-point Panther run put Pittsburgh ahead, 11-7. A pair of Cincinnati errors put the Bearcats in a six-point hole, 17-11, forcing UC to use its second timeout of the set. UC slowly crept back within two points on three occasions, with the last at 20-22, but the Panthers defeated UC 25-21 in the third set. The Panthers had seven blocks in the third set.
The Bearcats continued to struggle in the fourth set as Pittsburgh jumped out to a 15-5 advantage. The double-digit deficit was too much to overcome as PITT won the fourth set, 25-14, sending the match to a fifth and final set.
The Panthers continued their strong play as they took an 8-4 lead as the teams switched sides mid-way through the fifth set. UC cut its deficit to three points, 12-9, but a few Bearcat miscues gave Pittsburgh a 15-10 final set win.
Niemer and Elley led the Bearcats with 11 kills apiece, while Nevitt also finished in double figures with 10 kills. Niemer also added 10 digs, notching her second kill-dig double-double of the season.
The Bearcats have a week off before returning to the floor at UAB at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 28.