TicketsSept. 21, 2012
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team fell 3-2 to the University of Notre Dame on Friday night at Fifth Third Arena. It was the BIG EAST opener for both teams. Senior Rachel Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Grand Valley State) had a career-high 60 assists in the match while senior Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) recorded a season-high 21 kills for the Bearcats. Senior Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland) finished with her first double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs.
A total of four Bearcats recorded double-digit kills, including Scott (21), senior Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) (17), senior Megan Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) (14) and Refenes (13). Junior Emily MacIntyre had a match-high 34 digs while sophomore Jamie Netisingha (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central) recorded a career-high 11 digs.
Cincinnati got off to a hot start in the first set, scoring seven of the first ten points. A kill by Scott gave the Bearcats a 7-3 lead and forced the Fighting Irish to take their first timeout of the match. UC continued their hot hitting, recording five consecutive points, including a block and a service ace by Refenes, to bring the score to 14-5 in favor of the Bearcats. Notre Dame attempted a comeback, scoring three straight points to bring the score to 20-15, but it was all Cincinnati to close the game. On the Bearcats' second set point, Scott sent a kill over the net to take the game 25-19 and give UC a 1-0 match lead. Turner finished with 5 kills in the match and Rohlfs added 11 assists.
Notre Dame took the second set 25-21 to tie the match at 1-1. The teams traded points to start the second game before two consecutive ND kills gave the Irish a 10-8 lead. Notre Dame continued to push the lead when three straight kills gave them an 18-15 advantage. The Irish used a block to earn set point at 24-19, but could not capitalize, sending a kill long. The Bearcats fended off a second set point with a kill by Scott, but a ND kill by Toni Alugbue finally ended the game at 25-21. Rohlfs recorded 14 assists in the game for the Bearcats and Refenes hit eight kills to lead the Bearcats. UC also hit at a .303 clip in the stanza.
UC grabbed a 2-1 match lead after winning the third set 25-21. The Bearcats gained an early advantage in set No. 3 when back-to-back kills by Turner gave them a 9-6 lead. The lead increased after four straight points, including two kills by Scott, gave UC a 16-11 advantage. After Cincinnati had taken a 20-15 lead, Notre Dame went on a five-point rally to tie the game at 20-20 and force the Bearcats to take a timeout. UC stormed out of the huddle with two kills from Scott and a kill from Refenes to go back on top 23-20. Following a ND timeout, Scott added another kill to give her team set point at 24-20. On the second set point attempt, Notre Dame's Kathleen Severyn sent her serve into the net to end the game 25-21. The Bearcats were led by Scott's seven kills in the stanza.
Notre evened the score at 2-2 in the fourth set. The Bearcats took a 12-8 lead following a kill from sophomore Me'Ashah Nicholson (Shiloh, Ill./Belleville Althoff) but Notre Dame responded in a commanding way. The Fighting Irish strung together seven consecutive points to take a 15-12 lead. A kill by Hayden finally stopped the run and brought the Bearcats to within two at 15-13. The Bearcats remained down by three or four points through the conclusion of the game. A Cincinnati attack error ended the game at 25-20 and sent the Bearcats into their first fifth set of the season.
In the deciding fifth set, the Irish got on the board first when a block and two kills gave ND a 3-0 lead. The Bearcats responded with a three-point run of their own to tie the game at 3-3. With the game tied at 6-6, the Bearcats used consecutive kills from Scott and Hayden to take an 8-6 lead. The Bearcats took advantage of several Irish mistakes, including back-to-back service and attack errors, to gain a 13-11 advantage. After a Cincinnati timeout, a kill by Hayden gave the Bearcats match point at 14-12. With the match tied at 14-14, UC gave up a point on an attacking error and received a subsequent red card. The penalty gave Notre Dame the 16th point and the 3-2 match victory.
The Bearcats will be back in action when they host BIG EAST foe DePaul on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena.
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