TicketsNov. 19, 2010
PITTSBURGH - The No. 18-ranked University of Cincinnati volleyball team defeated the University of South Florida in three sets (25-7, 25-13, 24-14) on Friday, Nov. 19, at Fitzgerald Field House to advance to the semifinals of the BIG EAST championship.
The 34 points surrendered by UC was the second fewest in a three-set match in program history, just one point shy of the record set on Nov. 7, 2008 at West Virginia. Cincinnati held USF to a -0.55 hitting percentage for the match, blocked 11 shots and had 40 digs.
Sophomore Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North), recently anointed with First-Team All-BIG EAST honors, led the Bearcats with a .692 attack rate on 10 kills.
BIG EAST Player of the Year Stephanie Niemer (Erlanger, Ky./St. Henry) also smacked 10 kills, adding eight digs and two solo blocks. The third Bearcat named to the first-team all-conference on Thursday, Annie Fesl (Arlington Heights, Ill./John Hersey), dished out 30 assists and dug eight shots.
The Bearcats dominated USF in the first set, winning the game 25-7. They shot a superb .667 hitting percentage as a team, while holding the Bulls to a -.125 rate.
Cincinnati started the set with on a 6-1 run that featured two blocks by sophomore middle blocker Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland). With the score 7-4, UC went on a 13-0 run that featured four kills by Scott. Refenes ended the set with her second kill of the match. Niemer and Scott each had four kills in the first to pace UC. Fesl passed out 10 assists, while freshman Emily MacIntyre (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) led the Bearcats with three digs in the set.
The second set went almost as well as the first for Cincinnati as it won 25-13 and held the Bulls to a .065 hitting percentage. The Bearcats went on three separate 3-0 runs in the second, as well as a 5-0 and a 4-0 run, to quickly jump out to a 2-0 match lead.
Refenes led UC with four kills in the second, while Niemer, junior outside hitter Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) and sophomore outside hitter Megan Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) each added three more. Fesl had another 10 assists in the second, adding three digs, and directed a Bearcat offense that had a .286 hitting percentage in the set.
Defensively, UC once again suffocated USF in the third set, holding the Bulls to a -.111 hitting percentage, recording seven blocks and digging 17 attack attempts. Cincinnati jumped out to a 3-0 lead to start the set, but the Bulls showed some fight early and tied the score 6-6. However, the Bearcats put together three more 3-0 runs and a 4-0 run to win the third 25-14 and sweep the match in three sets.
The Bearcats, the top seed in the BIG EAST tournament, will play fifth-seeded Notre Dame on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. at Fitzgerald Field House. Free, live streaming audio and video of the match can be viewed here.