TicketsNov. 21, 2009
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Behind a match-best 16 kills from junior Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) and eight blocks from freshman Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North), the University of Cincinnati volleyball team advanced to its first BIG EAST Championship match with a 3-0 win over USF Saturday afternoon in the first BIG EAST semifinal match of the day at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The win also gave Cincinnati head coach Reed Sunahara the 250th win of his career.
Freshman Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) continued her torrid hitting pace with a .529 hitting percentage en route to 10 kills.
After Cincinnati found itself in a 7-3 hole in the first set, the Bearcats used a Scott kill to halt the Bulls momentum and UC eventually knotted the set at 10 on a kill and an ace by sophomore Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy). Still tied at 13, Cincinnati created some separation as a Scott kill, a block by Scott and fellow freshman Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland), and an ace by junior Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey) placed UC on top, 16-13. Leading 19-17, a Hayden kill off the block put UC back in front by three points, before a USF attack error and a kill by Niemer gave Cincinnati its biggest lead of the set, 22-17. Leading 24-22, Niemer delivered a clutch kill that clinched the 25-22 opening set triumph.
In similar fashion to the first set, the Bearcats found themselves trailing early, 8-3. After UC cut its deficit to one point, 11-10, junior Lindsay Upton (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) led Cincinnati on a seven-point surge, which included two service aces, giving UC a 17-11 advantage. The Bulls cut their deficit to two points on a pair of occasions with the second at 23-21, but down the stretch Niemer delivered two kills to seal another 25-22 decision for UC.
Unlike the first two sets, the Bearcats were the aggressors early in the third set as a pair of kills by Niemer and Hayden combined with three USF attack errors helped Cincinnati jump out to a 9-4 lead. USF fought back and closed the UC lead to two points, 10-8, but a dump kill by Fesl followed by a Niemer kill quickly escalated the lead back to four points, 12-8. From that point, the Bulls were never able to close within three points and Harpenau led the Bearcats on a five-point run to close out the 25-17 third-set victory.
UC plays in its first BIG EAST Championship match on Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m. The match will be nationally televised on ESPNU with Beth Mowens and Krista Blunk on the call. Cincinnati will play the winner of the other semifinal match between Notre Dame and Louisville.