TicketsNov. 11, 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 ORANGE: With a 23-7 overall record, Syracuse is one of three teams in the BIG EAST with a 5-7 conference mark and is fighting for the eight and final spot in next week's BIG EAST Volleyball Championship. The Orange are led by Noemie LeFebvre (3.12 kill per set) and Laura Homann (10.42 assist per set).
THE SERIES WITH SYRACUSE: Friday's meeting between the Bearcats and the Orange marks the ninth meeting between the schools with Cincinnati holding a 5-3 lead in the all-time series. UC won last year's meeting 3-1 at Fifth Third Arena and has won four straight meetings in the series.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES: Marquette enters the weekend with a 20-7 overall record, including 10-2 in the BIG EAST, which is just one match behind Cincinnati and Louisville for first place in the conference. Ashley Beyer leads the team with a 3.92 kills-per-set average, while setter Nikki Klingsporn paces MU with a 12.05 assists-per-set average.
THE SERIES WITH MARQUETTE: Sunday's meeting between UC and MU marks the 33nd meeting between the schools with Cincinnati holding a 26-6 lead in the all-time series. The Bearcats won last year's meeting in Cincinnati, 3-0.
BEARCATS CLIMB THE AVCA RANKINGS: After defeating West Virginia on Nov. 6 and Pittsburgh on Nov. 7, the Bearcats moved up to No. 19 in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll. The No. 19 ranking is highest in school history. It is UC's eighth straight week in the poll. 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 previous 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 24-4 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 3-2 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: Cincinnati will play in the BIG EAST Conference Volleyball Championship, which is scheduled from Nov. 19-21 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The top eight teams, based on regular-season conference records will qualify for the event and will be seeded according to their finish in the league standings. The 29th annual championship will be hosted by the University of Pittsburgh at the Fitzgerald Field House, and ESPNU will air the championship game live on Nov. 21 at 3:30 p.m. The champion receives the league's automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.