TicketsSept. 5, 2009
CINCINNATI - In a match that pitted the two winners from Day 1 of the 2009 Bearcats Invitational presented by the Marriott Kingsgate, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team swept the University of Evansville Purple aces, 3-0, in its first of two matches on Day 2 of the Bearcats Invitational at Fifth Third Arena. Junior Stephanie Niemer continued her stellar play with a match-high 15 kills and a .583 hitting percentage, while junior Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) posted 41 assists and led the Bearcats to a .366 hitting percentage.
The Bearcats got off to a strong start in the opening set as four kills from four different UC players helped Cincinnati take an early 6-1 lead. Still holding on to a five-point lead, 12-7, the Red and Black took eight of the next 11 points to take a commanding 21-10 advantage. During the run, freshman Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) notched three kills and Niemer put two balls to the floor. The Purple Aces made a run at the Bearcats and cut the deficit to six points, 24-18, but a Niemer kill gave Cincinnati (3-2) the 25-18 win in set one.
Evansville (3-2) kept the second set tight in the early stages until a four-point rally behind the serving of senior Jaime Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) catapulted the Bearcats in front, 8-6. From that point, UC slowly extended its lead to as many as nine points, 20-11, courtesy of a series of two- and three-point runs. Holding on to a seven-point cushion, 23-16, an Evansville attack error followed by a sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) service ace handed UC a 25-16 second-set win.
Out of the 10-minute intermission, UC held on to a 5-4 lead, before two Purple Aces errors, a Niemer service ace, and a freshman Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) kill extended the margin to five points, 9-4, forcing the Aces to use their first timeout of the set. With its four-point lead still intact at 12-8, a kill by Harpenau and two UE errors put UC ahead, 15-8. The seven-point differential proved to be too much for the Purple Aces to overcome as Cincinnati won the final set, 25-18.
Junior Julie Guenther (Fairfield, Ohio/Hamilton Badin) led the Bearcats with nine digs, while Scott and Harpenau tallied 10 kills apiece.
The Bearcats return to the floor at 7:30 p.m. tonight against the College of Charleston.