TicketsAug. 30, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - Despite a career-high 34 kills from junior Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry), the University of Cincinnati volleyball team could not overcome a late surge by No. 17 University of Utah as the Utes defeated Cincinnati 26-24, 21-25, 17-25, 25-22, 13-15. Niemer's 34 kills tie for second on the UC single-match kills list with Sonja Jackson, who recorded 34 kills against Dayton on Nov. 5, 1986.
The opening set went back and forth from the get-go and featured 18 ties. Utah had set point at 24-23, but a kill by Niemer knotted the set at 24, before a block by Niemer and freshman Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and another Niemer kill gave the Bearcats the 26-24 opening-set triumph. Niemer had nine kills and hit .750 for UC in the first set.
The second set was similar to the first early on until three UC errors and a Utah kill took what was a 9-8 UC lead and made it a 12-9 Utes cushion. Trailing by four points, 17-13, the Bearcats used kills from Scott and sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) to kick start a four-point spurt that knotted the set at 17. Utah took back the lead and it reached as many as five points, 24-19, before back-to-back kills by Niemer closed the gap to three points, 24-21. However, a Utes kill closed the door on the second set and knotted the match at one set apiece.
Utah came out of the 10-minute intermission and slowly expanded its lead to five, 14-9, courtesy of seven kills and five Bearcat errors. After trailing by as many as seven points, 16-9, Cincinnati closed its deficit to four points at 18-14, but the Utes wound up taking the third set by a score of 25-17.
Utah continued its momentum from the third set by jumping out to 9-5 lead, but Cincinnati kept its composure and used a four-point spurt to take its first lead of the set, 12-10. UC maintained its lead until Utah used a mini run of its own to take a 20-17 lead, forcing a UC timeout. From that point, it was the Harpenau Show as two kills and a service ace along with her strong serve catapulted the Bearcats in front, 22-20. Utah closed within one point, 23-22, but two kills by Niemer sent UC to a 25-22 win and a fifth and deciding set.
Cincinnati carried the momentum over from the fourth set and led by as many as four points, 12-8, in the final set. However, the Utes rallied and tied the set at 13. In the final few points, a Utah kill combined with a UC error gave Utah the come-from-behind win.
Harpenau finished with her second kill-dig double-double of the tournament with 14 kills and 14 digs, while Scott added seven blocks for the Bearcats.
For their efforts, both Harpenau and Niemer were named to the Utah Classic All-Tournament Team.
Cincinnati has six days off before playing in front of the home crowd at Fifth Third Arena Sept. 4-5 at the Bearcats Invitational. Cincinnati welcomes the College of Charleston, Evansville, and Youngstown State to Clifton for the tournament.