TicketsAug. 26, 2011
DeKalb, Ill. - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team lost to no.18 Iowa State University Saturday afternoon 3-1 (25-15, 28-26, 25-12, 25-16).
Senior Missy Harpenau (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mother of Mercy) led all the team with 12 kills, making her the only one to record double-digit kills. She also had 12 digs in the match. Sophomore Emily MacIntyre (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) led all UC players with 14 digs. Junior Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) only had one hitting error, bringing her percentage to a team-high .312.
The tone of the first set was set by the hitting percentages of both teams. Iowa State put down 16 kills for a .316 percentage compared to Cincinnati's 7 kills and .000 percentage. Iowa State took a quick 16-9 lead, which forced head coach Reed Sunahara to take a timeout. The score went back and forth until Megan Turner (brought the Bearcats within six points with a kill and a serve. After a long rally, the Cyclones were up 19-13. A Harpenau ace and kill from freshman setter Caylin Mahoney (Fort Worth, Texas/Keller Central) kept the team alive with a score of 15-20. Iowa State then went on a 5-0 run to finish the set 15-25.
The second set was tighter with 8 tie scores. Long rallies ensued after a 2-5 start and the Bearcats could not find themselves on the winning side of them. A second ace by Harpenau and a dig by MacIntyre brought Cincinnati within 2 points. The score continued on the pattern with a Refenes kill to bring the score to 10-11. A group of hitting errors from the Bearcats increased the Cyclones' lead to 13-16. Kills by Hayden and Harpenau gave the Bearcats their only lead of the match so far 18-17 followed by a Cyclones timeout. Iowa State used the second timeout after only gaining one point to make the score 21-18 in favor of the Bearcats. Sunahara then followed suit with his two timeouts in a row being down 21-22. After one point rallies, an ace and two digs by junior Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland)ultimately brought the Bearcats the win 28-26.
The Cyclones came out fighting in the third set with a score of 0-6. The Bearcats did not get more than 1 point at a time until the score was 8-16. The Cyclones then went on a 4-0 run to make the score 8-20. A kill by Refenes brought the ball back to the Bearcats. Two aces from Iowa State and a hitting error by Cincinnati forced the Bearcats into a 12-point deficit at game point for the Cyclones. A Harpenau kill brought the serve back but the Cyclones answered right away with a point of their own to end the set 12-25.
The Bearcats started the fourth set ahead with a score of 3-1. After a trio of Cyclone aces, Sunahara was forced to call a timeout at the score of 4-6. A kill by Hayden and an ace by MacIntyre brought the score to 8-11. After a 5-1 run by the Cyclones, the Bearcats used their first timeout to collect themselves at a score of 9-16. Two hitting errors from the Bearcats followed the break before a kill by Harpenau gave the serve to Brianna Richey (Tiffin, Ohio/Hopewell/Loudin). After some miscommunication, the Cyclones were up 10-19. Harpenau and Refenes teamed up for a block, but it wasn't enough as the Cyclones came up with a block to make the score 11-20. Juliana Behrens (Honolulu, HI/Punahau School) came up with a clutch kill off the bench toward the end of the set to keep the Bearcats alive at 16-22. The match ended with a Bearcat hitting error 16-25.
Cincinnati plays again tonight at 7:00 p.m. against host of the tournament Northern Illinois, the preseason Mid-American Conference favorite.