TicketsOct. 16, 2010
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The No. 21-ranked University of Cincinnati volleyball team had its 10-match winning streak snapped Saturday (Oct. 16) as the University of Louisville rallied from a 2-0 deficit and upset the Bearcats who owned a one game lead in the BIG EAST over the Cardinals heading into play at Cardinal Arena. Senior outside hitter Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry), the five-time defending BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week, led UC with 29 kills, 18 digs and a block.
The match started with Cincinnati running out to an early 5-1 lead thanks to a pair of service aces by Juliana Behrens (Honolulu, Hawai'i/Punahou School) and a couple of Louisville errors. The Cardinals did not stop coming at the Bearcats and used six blocks during the set to cut into the lead and eventually take their first advantage of the set at 16-15. Sophomore middle blocker Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) helped get the Bearcats back on track from there with three kills down the stretch. After Scott put the Bearcats up 23-21, a UofL service error and a kill by Niemer ended the set, 25-23. The kill was Niemer's seventh, adding to her six digs.
The Bearcats stayed in control during the second set building up a 20-14 lead on the Cardinals. After UofL scored five of the next six points to cut its deficit to 21-19, Niemer notched another kill and the Cardinals committed three errors to hand UC a 2-0 lead heading into the break. Sophomore middle blocker Becca Refenes (Westland Mich./Lutheran Westland) came alive in the set and posted three kills, two blocks and an ace for UC.
After the intermission, Louisville started to swing the tide of the match with good hitting and solid defensive play. The Cardinals out hit Cincinnati, .346 to .103, in the set and recorded four blocks. Sophomore Megan Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) provided a spark to Cincinnati in the set with three kills and an ace in the set, but UC lost the third set, 25-17. The loss of the set snapped UC's 29-set winning streak that dated back to a 3-2 win over then-No. 5 Illinois on Sept. 17.
In the fourth set, Louisville again built up a big lead over UC, 23-16, but Niemer would not let the Bearcats go away quietly as she and Refenes scored six of the next seven points to shave the lead to 24-22. Louisville's Anastasia Artemeva closed the set with a kill to even the match at 2-2.
Niemer came out strong in the final set for the Bearcats scoring four of UC's first five points on kills, but the Cardinals continued to hamper UC's offensive attack with solid blocking up front. Louisville out hit Cincinnati .381 to .154 in the final set to rally back, 25-10, for the match.
Overall, Louisville out hit UC .229 to .132 in the match and dominated up front with 19 total team blocks to UC's 5. Niemer finished with a match-high 29 kills, while the Cardinals' Lola Arslanbekova and Artemeva had 24 and 15 of their own, respectively. UC senior setter Annie Fesl added 52 assists in the match.
The loss drops Cincinnati (17-4, 6-1 BIG EAST) into a three-way tie for first in the league with Villanova and Louisville. UC returns to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 19, when it returns to the Bluegrass state for a match at Western Kentucky at 8 p.m.