TicketsOct. 30, 2010
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PROTECT THIS HOUSE: With three-set wins over USF on Oct. 23 and Georgetown on Oct. 24, Cincinnati extended its home winning streak record to 38 matches. The previous school record for consecutive home wins was 23 matches, which spanned from Nov. 17, 2002 to Oct. 24, 2004. The Bearcats' current home winning streak dates back to 2007, where Cincinnati won its final two home matches of the season, before going a perfect 14-0 at home in 2008 and 12-0 in Fifth Third Arena in 2009.
"SETTING" UP A RUN: When the Bearcats rallied from a 2-0 deficit to No. 5 Illinois and won the final three sets on Sept. 17 in the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge, they began a 29-set winning streak, breaking the record for the longest streak in program history. UC broke the school record on Oct. 10 vs. Notre Dame and extended the streak to 29 at Louisville on Oct. 16 before losing the third set. The previous school record for the most consecutive sets was 25, set between Sept. 22 - Oct. 18, 2000. After dropping the opening set at Western Kentucky on Oct. 19, UC has won its last 12 sets.
FESL 5K: Senior setter Annie Fesl became just the second player in Cincinnati history to top the 5,000-assist mark during the Bearcat's win over DePaul on Oct. 9. Laura Lauder (2000-03) holds the all-time UC mark with 5,946 assists.
HAY DAY FOR HAYDEN: After playing in her 150th career set on Oct. 16 in the fifth stanza at Louisville, sophomore MB/RS Emily Hayden became eligible for Cincinnati's all-time hitting percentage list. Her career .332 clip is currently good for fifth all-time.
THE SERIES WITH VILLANOVA: Sunday is the eighth meeting between Cincinnati and Villanova, with UC holding a 4-3 edge in the all-time series record. Villanova is 0-3 against UC all-time either at Fifth Third Arena or at a neutral site. Last season, the Bearcats defeated the Wildcats in three sets on Sept. 25, 2009 at Villanova.
BEARCATS CLIMB THE AVCA RANKINGS: After defeating Western Kentucky, South Florida and Georgetown, the Bearcats moved up two spots to No. 21 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll, the sixth week UC has been in the poll this season. It is the longest streak for a BIG EAST team since St. John's made 10 straight appearances in the poll in 2007. Before being ranked this season, the last time UC was ranked in the AVCA Top 25 on Nov. 17, 2003 when they were No. 23, three spots behind the all-time highest ranking of No. 20, the week prior. This is just the seventh time UC has appeared in the coaches poll since it started in 1982. UC owns a record of 21-4 this season, including a pair of wins vs. Top 25 squads. The wins vs. No. 16 Kentucky on Sept. 7 and No. 5 Illinois on Sept. 17 mark the first time in the program's 38-year history Cincinnati has knocked off two ranked teams in the same season. The 3-0 win over Illinois in the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge marks the highest-ranked team the Bearcats have beaten.
NIEMER PILING UP THE HARDWARE: Senior outside hitter Stephanie Niemer Neimer became the first player in BIG EAST Conference history to win conference Player of the Week honors in five consecutive weeks (Sept. 13-Oct. 11). The senior leads the BIG EAST in kills, kills per set, and points, and currently ranks third on the Cincinnati career kills chart and second in career aces. The Erlanger, Ky. native became the first player in BIG EAST Conference history to be named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I National Player of the Week after her performance at the BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge on Sept. 17-18. In the upset of No. 5 Illinois, she notched her seventh double-double of the season with 28 kills and 15 digs, but it was in UC's three-set sweep of Purdue Niemer posted her strongest performance of the year, putting away a BIG EAST season-best 32 kills. It was her second 30-kill performance in UC's last three matches.
BEARCATS PICKED TO WIN BIG EAST CONFERENCE: After finishing in a tie for first place and a tie for second place in the BIG EAST Conference regular-season standings in 2008 and 2009, respectively, the University of Cincinnati volleyball team was forecasted to continue that trend in 2010 after being unanimously picked to finish first by conference coaches in the annual BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
TRIO EARNS ALL-PRESEASON BIG EAST CONFERENCE ACCOLADES: Alongside UC being picked to win the 2010 regular-season title, senior Stephanie Niemer became the first UC player to be selected BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and was one of two players to be unanimously selected for the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team alongside Louisville sophomore outside hitter and reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, Lola Arslanbekova. In 2009, Niemer was an American Volleyball Coaches' Association Honorable-Mention All-America selection, an AVCA All-Northeast Region recipient, and took home first-team all-BIG EAST honors while ranking among conference leaders in kills per set, aces, and points per set. In addition to Niemer, senior Annie Fesl and junior Missy Harpenau also earned All-BIG EAST Preseason Team recognition. Fesl was a first-team all-conference performer in 2009, while Harpenau was an AVCA Honorable-Mention All-Northeast Region and second-team all-BIG EAST selection.
UP NEXT: After Sunday's match vs. Villanova, the Bearcats' five remaining regular season matches are all on the road, starting with a weekend trip to West Virginia on Saturday, Nov. 6, and Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 7. Both matches have a 2 p.m. start time.