TicketsOct. 27, 2009
DAYTON, Ohio - Behind an all-around performance that included eight kills, 11 digs, four aces, and four blocks from sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy), the University of Cincinnati volleyball team defeated Wright State University 3-0 Tuesday evening at the C.J. McLin Gymnasium. Cincinnati (17-8) used 11.5 blocks to win its fifth consecutive match.
With 26 assists, junior Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) moved into third place on UC's all-time assists list passing Paige Pees. Fesl currently has dished out 3,875 assists in her career.
Cincinnati got off to a sluggish start in the opening set and the Raiders took advantage by jumping out to a 17-12 lead, forcing Cincinnati to burn its first timeout. Following the 60-second break, Cincinnati went on to take eight of the next nine points behind the serving of Fesl to capture a 20-18 lead. During the surge, freshman Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) was in on two blocks, while Fesl kept the rally alive with a kill and an ace. The Raiders battled back and had set point at 24-23, but a block by freshmen Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) and Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland) knotted the score at 24 before consecutive Wright State attack errors gave UC the 26-24 opening-set triumph.
Just as in the first set, Cincinnati trailed in the beginning stages of the second set, 10-8. A junior Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) kill sparked a seven-point surge placing UC in front by five points, 15-10. Following a WSU side out, a Raiders attack error precluded a Bearcats block and a Harpenau kill giving UC its biggest lead of the set, 18-11. From that point, UC refused to allow Wright State to close within five points and the Bearcats took the second set 25-19.
Two blocks in the beginning stages of the third set helped Cincinnati leap ahead 9-5. Wright State knotted the set twice, with the last occurrence at 15, before two Raiders errors and a Harpenau kill on a long rally pushed UC back into the lead, 18-15. Leading 20-19, Harpenau put the team on her back and had three aces down the stretch helping UC win the third set, 25-20.
Niemer led all players with nine kills and added eight digs and a career-best four assists, while senior Jaime Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon) posted a match-high 18 digs.
The Bearcats host a pair of BIG EAST matches this weekend against Marquette and Syracuse. UC opens the weekend on Friday, Oct. 30 versus Marquette at 7:30 p.m., before meeting Syracuse on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played in Fifth Third Arena.