TicketsAug. 22, 2012
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team is set to begin the 2012 season while aiming to defend its 2011 BIG EAST Championship title. The Bearcats ended last season with momentum, capturing their first BIG EAST tournament crown and advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third time since 2008.
In order to succeed on the court, however, the team will have to buy into the game plan of first-year head coach Molly Alvey and first-year assistants Nicole Miller and Steve Vencl. The coaching staff is primed to lead UC, having earned four NCAA tournament berths between them.
"I think being here at UC has been amazing" said Alvey. "Coming to a program that historically is very good has been exciting. We have a very talented group of players as a whole, from veterans to newcomers. It is an exciting environment to be around."
The team also will have to fill the void left by the graduation of 2011 BIG EAST Championship MVP Missy Harpenau. The outside hitter ended her career ranking among the Top 10 in school history in eight statistical categories including attacking attempts (eighth with 3,570), service aces (sixth with 157), digs (third with 1,414), matches played (first with 140) and sets played (second with 499).
The coaches will have a strong cast of seniors upon which to rely during the 2012 season with two-time All-American middle blocker/right-side hitter Jordanne Scott leading the way. Scott led the team last season with 482 kills and a 3.54 kills per set average. Additionally, she is tied for fifth in the Cincinnati record book with a .315 hitting percentage through her first three years in the program. Earlier this month she was named an All- BIG EAST Preseason pick for the second-straight year, while boasting back-to-back first team All-BIG EAST honors in 2010 and 2011.
"Jordanne has shown some great leadership during the preseason" added Alvey. "She is the same way, top to bottom, with the entire team. She shows leadership among the upperclassmen and the underclassmen. She has been working hard and with that continued consistency, I think this could be a very successful season for her."
Joining Scott will be seniors Becca Refenes, Emily Hayden, Megan Turner, Karen Onuki and Rachel Rohlfs. Refenes, a middle blocker, led the team in blocks with 150 during her junior campaign, and has recorded 349 assisted blocks in her career to rank eighth in program history. Refenes and Scott enter the season as the only two returning players to participate in every set of 2011.
Middle blocker/outside hitter Hayden registered 273 kills and 86 blocks in 2011 while ranking seventh in career hitting percentage with a .307 mark. Turner, an outside hitter, had 247 kills to her name, while Onuki, a defensive specialist, had 158 digs and setter Rohlfs recorded seven assists in three matches.
Alvey says she will depend on her seniors a lot this season, adding "the seniors have created a culture of winning. They understand winning and what it means to be a winner and have instilled that mentality in our younger players. "
Also returning for the Bearcats is junior defensive specialist Emily MacIntyre who ranks among the program's elite in both digs (10th with 433) and digs per set (sixth with 4.15).
UC also brings back a productive sophomore class including outside hitter Jordan Householder, defensive specialist Jamie Netisingha and middle blocker/outside hitter Me'Ashah Nicholson.
The Bearcats will add considerable depth with six newcomers joining the team. Sophomore transfer Madison Lang and freshmen outside hitters Mackenzie Kitchel, Amelia Wegman and Morgan Allred, middle blocker Alison Kimmel and defensive specialist Mary Crema are also vying to contribute.
"The six newcomers all come with a pretty high level of volleyball experience" Alvey said. It has definitely kept the level of competition in the gym extremely high. It is a more competitive atmosphere. We have a lot of people who can go between the A-team and the B-team, which has kept practices very competitive."
The 2012 squad will need all players to step up as it faces a very tough schedule, including seven matches against teams ranked in the Top 15 of the AVCA preseason poll. Highlighting the schedule are No. 2 Texas, No. 7 Illinois (twice) and No. 9 Purdue, as well as three matches to open the season against No. 10 Iowa State, No. 15 Tennessee and No. 12 Florida State at the University of Tennessee Tournament. Cincinnati received six votes in the poll.
"The schedule is an exciting part of our season" Alvey stated. "It is the type of schedule that is probably one of the toughest in the country, but I think that is two-fold. When you play at this level you have to play that type of competition. Also, it doesn't hurt you to play that competition. Win or lose you are getting better by playing teams that are, on paper, better than you. I think it is extremely exciting and is a great challenge for this team and the program"
The Bearcats are hoping to rely on their experience and depth to carry them far this season. The road to the national championship in Louisville, Ky., begins Aug. 24 at 5 p.m. when the team faces Iowa State in Knoxville, Tenn.
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