TicketsOct. 23, 2009
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team kicked off homecoming weekend festivities in a big way with a three-set sweep over the University of Louisville Cardinals Friday evening at Fifth Third Arena. The win extended Cincinnati's (16-8; 7-1 BIG EAST) home court winning streak to 23 matches, tying the longest home winning streak in program history.
Sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) posted her best performance of the season with 12 kills en route to a .524 hitting percentage and also added eight digs.
Serving was one of the deciding factors in the contest as UC finished with seven aces, while the Cardinals were left without an ace and committed 10 serving errors.
Tied at three early in the opening set, Cincinnati took four of the next five points, which featured a freshman Karen Onuki (Troy, Ohio/Troy) service ace, to open a four-point lead, 8-4. Still in front by three points, 12-9, a Harpenau kill helped UC side out and the Bearcats scored three consecutive points following the kill to widen their lead to 16-9. Leading 17-10, a kill by freshman Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) precluded consecutive Harpenau service aces widening the advantage to 10 points, 20-10. From that point, Cincinnati cruised to a 25-12 opening set win.
Following a first set in which it struggled, Louisville came out more focused in the second set and jumped in front by as many as four points, 11-7. The Bearcats slowly crept back into the set and knotted the score three times, with the last at 17, before three consecutive Bearcats kills put UC in front, 20-17. After Louisville closed within two points, 23-21, a Harpenau kill through the block and a U of L miscue helped the Bearcats capture the 25-22 win.
Out of the 10-minute intermission, UC kept the pressure on as five combined kills from Harpenau and junior Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) aided an early run that placed UC in front 9-6. Behind the serving of freshman Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland), UC widened its lead to 15-7 and the Bearcats eventually widened their lead to as many as 13 points at 23-10. A freshman Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) kill and a Louisville service error closed out the 25-15 third-set triumph.
Niemer added eight kills and eight digs, while Hayden and Scott added six kills apiece.
UC has the rest of the weekend off before returning to the floor on Tuesday, Oct. 27, when it travels to Dayton, Ohio, to take on Wright State.