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Volleyball Closes Conference Play with Three-Set Sweep over St. John's

Volleyball Closes Conference Play with Three-Set Sweep over St. John'sVolleyball Closes Conference Play with Three-Set Sweep over St. John's

Nov. 15, 2009

Box Score

CINCINNATI - Behind a team hitting percentage of .356 and nine blocks, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team continued its winning ways at home with a 3-0 win over St. John's University Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena. Junior Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) led all players with 11 kills and did not commit an error en route to a .456 hitting percentage as UC extended its home winning streak to 27 matches.

Freshman Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) continued her strong play of late and hit over .600 for the third consecutive match hitting at a .643 clip to record 10 kills. Sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) led all players with 13 digs.

Kills by freshman Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and Harpenau, and an ace by Niemer, helped Cincinnati (22-9; 12-2 BIG EAST) capture a 12-8 lead in the opening set. After a Bearcats attack error made the score 14-11, two kills by Harpenau, two kills by Niemer, and two kills by Hayden aided a UC surge that saw Cincinnati take 11 of the final 12 points to capture a 25-12 win in the first set.

Just as in the first set, the second set remained close at the beginning until a kill by Hayden, a block by junior Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey), Scott, and Niemer, an ace by junior Lindsay Upton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame), and a Niemer kill down the line opened up a 16-11 lead. After a St. John's kill ended the rally, the Bearcats used two Fesl aces and kills by Scott and Niemer to help widen their lead to 21-13. From that point, UC easily took the second set, 25-17.

Behind the serving of Harpenau, the Bearcats went on a nine-point run at the beginning of the third set to take a 12-5 lead. It was then Upton's turn as she led a seven-point run that opened up a 19-6 advantage. Down the stretch, kills by Scott and Harpenau sealed the 25-10 triumph.

With the win, UC secured the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Conference Tournament, which will be held Nov. 20-22 in Louisville, Ky. The Bearcats quarterfinal opponent has yet to be determined.