TicketsSept. 19, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. - On Day 2 of the Wildcat Classic, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team opened the day with a 3-2 win over the University of Akron (25-17, 25-18, 24-26, 21-25, 15-4), setting up a meeting with tournament host Northwestern to determine the tournament champion. However, the Bearcats fell to the Wildcats in three sets and finished the tournament with a 2-1 record.
NU held a two-point lead early in the opening set, 10-8, before a pair of Bearcats attack errors and two Wildcats blocks aided a surge that placed Northwestern in front, 14-9. The Wildcats upped their lead to as many as six points, and the lead held as NU took the opening set, 25-20.
Cincinnati trailed from the get-go in the second set until two UC blocks and a kill by freshman Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) brought the Bearcats out of their early hole and tied the set at 17. Northwestern was able to obtain four set points, but Cincinnati did not panic. Three UC kills followed by a NU attack error knotted the set at 24, but two Bearcat miscues gave Northwestern a 26-24 second-set win to go up two games to none.
Out of the intermission, UC jumped in front, 4-1, courtesy of a junior Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) service ace, and kills by freshmen Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland) and Hayden. Six ties ensued, with the last at 13-13, before the Wildcats rallied to take seven of the next nine points, opening up a 20-15 lead. UC could not overcome the deficit and dropped the third set, 25-20.
At the conclusion of the Northwestern match, Niemer and Refenes were named to the all-tournament team. It is Niemer's fourth all-tournament selection this season and Refenes' first.
In Saturday's opener against Akron, the Bearcats were led by Niemer, who posted a match-best 18 kills and a team-high nine digs. In addition to Niemer, sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) was the other Bearcat to record double-digit kills with 11.
Cincinnati got off to a two games to none lead with wins of 25-17 and 25-18 in the first two sets, before Akron fought back with a 26-24 win in set three and a 25-21 triumph in the fourth set.
In the fifth and final set, two kills by freshman Megan Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) coupled with two Zips attack errors placed UC in front, 4-0, forcing Akron to burn a timeout. In front, 6-2, a five-point Bearcats run created a nine point cushion, 11-2. From that point, UC cruised to a 15-4 fifth-set victory, its first fifth-set win of the season.
Cincinnati has a quick turnaround when it continues its road trip with a match at Western Michigan on Monday, Sept. 21, at 7 p.m.