TicketsNov. 5, 2010
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PROTECT THIS HOUSE: With a three-set win over Villanova on Oct. 31, Cincinnati finished 2010 undefeated (11-0) at Fifth Third Arena and extended its home winning streak record to 39 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.
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 .323 clip is currently good for fifth all-time.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: Pittsburgh (11-15, 5-5 BIG EAST) enters the final two weekends of conference action tied with Seton Hall for seventh place in the BIG EAST standings. Offensively, the Panthers are led by Amy Town's 3.66 kills-per-set average and Alyssa King's 7.87 assists per set. Margy Acton (4.19 digs per set) and Kiesha Leggs (0.88 blocks per set) lead the Pitt defense.
THE SERIES WITH PITTSBURGH: Sunday is the 15th meeting between Cincinnati and Pittsburgh with the Panthers owning an 8-6 lead in the all-time series. Last year UC overcame a 19-8 fourth-set deficit to eventually win the fourth 35-33, topping Pitt 3-1 on Oct. 3, 2009 at Fifth Third Arena.
ABOUT THE MOUNTAINEERS: West Virginia owns an 14-12 overall record and a 4-6 conference mark, tied with Syracuse for eighth place in the BIG EAST. The Mountaineers are led offensively by Lauren Evans (2.73 kill per set) and Kari Post (9.93 assists per set). On the defensive side, Bonnie West (4.84 digs per set) and Evans (0.86 blocks per set) lead WVU.
THE SERIES WITH WEST VIRGINIA: Saturday marks the 13th meeting between UC and WVU with the Bearcats owning a 10-2 lead in the all-time series. Cincinnati has won seven consecutive match-ups dating back to 1991. Last season. then freshmen Jordanne Scott and Megan Turner combined for 22 kills and hit .364 to lead UC to a 3-0 sweep over the Mountaineers on Oct. 4, 2009 at Fifth Third Arena.
BEARCATS CLIMB THE AVCA RANKINGS: After defeating IUPUI on Oct. 26 and Villanova on Oct. 31, the Bearcats remain at No. 21 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll. It is UC's seventh straight week in the poll, 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 18-4 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: Stephanie Niemer won her record sixth BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week accolade on Nov. 1, becoming the first player in league history to win six player of the week awards in one season. Niemer, a senior outside hitter, 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 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.
UP NEXT: The Bearcats will play their final two BIG EAST matches of the regular season on the road when they face Syracuse on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. and Marquette on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m.