TicketsSept. 20, 2011
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team beat the Purple Aces of the University of Evansville Tuesday evening 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 15-25, 15-11).
With the win, the Bearcats continue the current longest home winning streak in the nation which sits at 40 wins. The crowd of 468, led by the rowdy student section, cheered the team on to victory after losing the first set. Three players recorded career highs in the match. Senior Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) led all players and recorded 27 kills (.359 hitting percentage). Junior Karen Onuki (Troy, Ohio/Troy) had 20 digs on the match, which is a career high. Freshman Caylin Mahoney (Fort Worth, Texas/Keller Central) also recorded a career high with 61 assists. She also had 13 digs, which is another career high for the freshman.
Sophomore Emily MacIntyre (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) led all players with 26 digs. Three other players in addition to MacIntyre recorded double digit digs: Onuki (20), Harpenau (18) and Mahoney (13). The defense on the net was led by juniors Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) and Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland) who each recorded 5 block assists toward the team's total of 11. Scott also had 2 solo blocks in addition to her assists.
After travelling back and forth getting three blocks in a row dug up, Scott finally recorded a block with fellow junior Megan Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) in the fifth set for a score of 3-2 in favor of the Aces. Harpenau recorded two kills to swing momentum and pull the Bearcats ahead 6-4. Junior Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) ran the slide behind the setter and the score was then tied at 7. Harpenau got a kill to force the teams to switch sides 8-7. A point later, Scott recorded a solo block to keep the Bearcats ahead 10-9. Hayden and Scott got a block late in the set to pull the Bearcats that much closer to victory 12-10. MacIntyre got a great dig, Turner hustled after it to keep it alive and Harpenau recorded the kill 14-11. The set and match ended with a Hayden kill 15-11.
The fourth set started off with a questionable net violation call on Harpenau. She answered that call right away with a defiant kill from the outside for a Bearcat lead 3-2. The Aces got ahead, even though Turner recorded a kill at 9-6. The Aces went on a 4-0 run to make the score 13-6. Harpenau and Refenes each recorded a kill for a score of 15-9. The Aces went on yet another run, this time 4-1 run to make the score 19-11. A long rally ensued that ended in favor of the Purple Aces to keep them ahead 21-11. Hayden and Mahoney then teamed up for a block to keep the deficit at ten points 23-13. Hayden perfectly placed a ball in the deep corner to give the Bearcats a chance to fight at 24-15. The Purple Aces then put down a kill to force a fifth set 25-15.
Kills from Mahoney, Hayden, Refenes and Scott brought the Bearcats the first points out of the break in the third set for a score of 4-3. MacIntyre came up with two great digs to allow Harpenau to record a kill at 7-4. Scott then crossed over to the middle from the right side to record a kill, immediately followed by an ace 11-7. Harpenau recorded another kill by tipping in the middle of the floor to keep the Bearcats on top 14-10. Even though the Aces kept it close by recording an ace, the Bearcats still remained ahead 17-14 thanks to a Scott cut around the block for a kill. Scott recorded a solo block which got the crowd and the team fired up. This was immediately followed by a booming kill from Hayden off an overpass from Evansville to make the score 21-16. Refenes got the Bearcats to set point with a serve receive pass, which was converted into a kill 24-20. The Bearcats took the third set 25-20.
Refenes and Scott slammed down the first two kills and points for the Bearcats in the second set, but still found themselves behind at 4-2. Turner then completely rejected an Evansville hit for a solo block and Mahoney recorded a kill to tie the score at 4. The score remained close, then Harpenau put a kill down and the combination of Scott and Refenes recorded a block to pull the Bearcats ahead 11-8. Harpenau then came inside toward the middle of the court for a kill down the line 14-9. After Evansville went on a small run, the Bearcats remained ahead 19-14 with kills from Mahoney and Harpenau from the back row. The Purple Aces then went on a 3-0 run to pull closer to the Bearcats 19-17. Freshman Me'Ashah Nicholson (Shiloh, Ill./Belleville Althoff) came off the bench for an ace at 21-17. Mahoney then threw down a kill in the middle of the floor to keep the Bearcats ahead 23-20. The Bearcats took the set by the same score as the first 25-23.
Scott earned the first point of the match for the Bearcats for a quick 1-0 lead. She then teamed up with Refenes for two blocks, one resulting in a point at 3-1. The Bearcats continued their momentum with a Turner kill over the block 8-5. Hayden then ran a slide behind Mahoney and slammed down a kill to keep the Bearcats ahead 9-7. Turner then changed up the tempo of standard swings and rolled a short ball in the middle for a score of 15-13. The Aces then fought their way back to get ahead of the Bearcats 18-16. Harpenau and Scott each came up with a kill to keep the Bearcats within three 23-20. With the Aces at set point, the Bearcats went on a 3-0 run to pull the score to 24-23, forcing an Aces timeout. The Aces took the first set 25-23 on a Bearcat serving error.
The Bearcats will look to continue their home winning streak when they host Connecticut in the BIG EAST opener Friday, September 23 at 7:30 p.m.