TicketsOct. 13, 2011
The rivalry of the Cincinnati and Louisville volleyball programs is well-known. Friday evening will be the ultimate test as the Bearcats take on the Cardinals in Louisville at 7 p.m.
The Bearcats are looking to avenge their first BIG EAST loss, which happened over last weekend against Seton Hall in straight sets. The team is now one game behind Louisville for first place of the league.
Senior Missy Harpenau leads the team with 3.63 kills per set and posts a team-high 0.33 aces per set. Freshman Caylin Mahoney, who just earned Freshman of the Week honors last week, leads the team with 10.77 assists per set. Sophomore libero Emily Macintyre controls the back row with 3.64 digs per set. Junior Emily Hayden proves to be one of the more consistent hitters, as she boasts a team-high .286 hitting percentage.Fellow junior Becca Refenes will look to shut down the Cardinal offense, as she is the only Bearcat to average over a block per set with 1.10.
Louisville has a weapon that ranks second in the nation in kills per set in junior Lola Arslanbekova, who has recorded 5.09 kills per set and has been named the conference Player of the Week three times in a row. Sophomore Taylor Brauneis sets Arslanbekova and the rest of the team with 10.89 assists per set. Caitlin Welch leads the Cardinal defense with 4.12 digs per set.
The teams will battle in the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville at 7 p.m. Fans can follow the game with gametracker online, or Twitter @cincinnativball.