TicketsSept. 23, 2011
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team opened conference play with a 3-0 against the Huskies of Connecticut (25-14, 25-17, 25-18) Friday evening.
Junior Emily Hayden (Lousiville, Ky./Assumption) hit a match and career-high .769 in the win. She recorded 10 kills off of 13 swings with no errors. Senior Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) led the match with 13 kills and was the only other Bearcat to record double-digit kills.
Junior Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) also had an impressive hitting percentage with .667. Sophomore Emily MacIntyre (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) led the defensive effort with 10 digs. Freshman Caylin Mahoney (Fort Worth, Texas/Keller Central) led the match with 33 assists.
The Bearcats started the third set strong with powerful kills from Refenes and Scott and an ace from Harpenau for a 5-2 lead. Kills from Turner and Harpenau kept the Bearcats ahead, but the Huskies fought back to decrease the lead 11-9. Refenes recorded an ace for a 14-11 score. Defensive plays from MacIntyre and Mahoney allowed Hayden to record two kills 16-11, forcing a Huskie timeout. The Bearcats went on a 3-0 run to get closer to the match win 19-13. Scott switched up her tempo and dropped a tip in the middle of the court to bring the Bearcats within two of the match 23-18. The efforts of the defense held the Huskies to a -.04 hitting percentage in the first set.
Refenes placed a ball in the deep corner early in the second set with a kill for the Bearcats 3-2. She then dug a ball with one arm to allow Hayden to record a kill 6-2. Harpenau recorded kills from the front and back rows off the Huskies' block on the outside for another two points 15-9. The Huskies began to fight back with kills of their own 18-14, until Harpenau came inside to end their run. Mahoney then recorded a kill from her setter position 21-15. The second set ended with a Harpenau kill 25-17.
A block by Harpenau and Refenes earned the first point for the Bearcats. Another block from Hayden and Mahoney and kills by Turner and Hayden put the Bearcats on top 9-6 over the Huskies. A dig by Refenes allowed Mahoney to run a quick play behind for a Scott kill at 14-9. Harpenau then went up on a UConn overpass for a kill 18-11. Turner served a 3-0 run for the Bearcats 21-12. The Bearcats took the set 25-14.
The win over the Huskies allowed the Bearcats to continue the longest winning streak in the country with 41 wins. The team will be in action again Sunday at 2 p.m. against the Red Storm of St. John's.