TicketsSept. 30, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team dropped a 3-2 (20-25, 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 21-19) heartbreaker to the University of South Florida on Sunday afternoon in Tampa, Fla., on the campus of USF. Senior Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) led all players with 23 kills in the match.
"At times we fight and play unbelievable volleyball" said head coach Molly Alvey. "Where we get to be a good team is when we play like we do during those spurts all the time. Becca Refenes had a good match for us today, but I want her to realize what an asset she is to this team. She needs to see how many kills she can contribute for us. Mary Crema has been playing with consistency and confidence and she definitely played a great match for us tonight. Also, Emily Hayden continues to play a consistent game like she has all year."
The Bearcats (4-12, 2-2 BIG EAST) outhit the Bulls (10-7, 2-2 BIG EAST) 66 kills to 63, marking the fourth consecutive match they have recorded more kills than their opponent. Cincinnati totaled four players with double-digit kills including Scott with 23, senior Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland) with 15, senior Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) with 12 and freshman Amelia Wegman (Aurora, Ill./Rosary) with 10. The Bearcats also recorded three players with double-digit digs, led by junior Emily MacIntyre with 27, freshman Mary Crema (Loveland, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) with a career-high 13 and Refenes with 10. It was the third double-double in four matches for Refenes who recorded 15 kills and 10 digs.
Cincinnati took game No. 1 25-20, but had to claw its way back from a 6-point deficit to earn the win. The Bearcats found themselves in a big hole early when USF scored 9-of-10 points to take a 12-6 lead. UC did not back down, however, using a run of its own, including two kills apiece from Scott and Wegman and a service ace from Crema, to regain the lead at 16-14. The Bulls fought tough, but the Bearcats remained on top for the conclusion of the set. A kill by Refenes gave UC the 25-20 victory and a 1-0 advantage in the match.
The story was much the same in game No. 2 when USF jumped out to a 15-8 lead following a service ace from Valerie El Houssine. Cincinnati, however scored nine of the next 11 points to tie the game at 17-17. Scott had three kills and the Bearcats exploited three USF attacking errors during the run. But the Bearcats would not score again, as the Bulls scored eight consecutive points to steal the set 25-17 and tie the match at 1-1.
The Bearcats found themselves behind for the duration of the third game, dropping the 25-19 decision. Cincinnati climbed to within one point at 17-16, but USF scored three unanswered to pull its lead to 20-16. A Bearcat attacking error proved to be the winning point in the set for the Bulls, who took a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Bearcats pulled out a close 25-23 victory in game four to tie the match at 2-2. With the match tied at 9-9, UC picked up five of the next six points to go ahead 14-10. The Bulls held strong, and re-tied the score at 16-16 following four straight points, including three kills. The set was again tied at 23-23 when Alvey called a timeout to organize her team. The Bearcats stormed out of the break with two kills from Scott to win the game 25-23 and force a deciding game five.
Set No. 5 was a back-and-forth affair, with the final tally going well beyond the usual 15-point maximum. Neither team was able to gain more than a two-point lead throughout the set and the teams traded points from 13-13 onward. With the score tied at 19-19, a UC service error and a USF service ace finally put the match away with a 21-19 final score.
The Bearcats will be back in action on Wed. Oct. 3 when they travel to crosstown rival Xavier for a match at 7 p.m. in the Cintas Center. "We are hoping to get a lot of Cincinnati fans to the match on Wednesday" said Alvey. All fans are encouraged to attend and cheer lout for the Bearcats.
-GoBEARCATS.com-