TicketsOct. 3, 2012
CINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team dropped a five set decision at crosstown rival Xavier University 3-2 (23-25, 28-26, 25-21, 24-26, 15-9) on Wednesday evening in a non-conference matchup at the Cintas Center on the campus of Xavier University.
"When we do the things we are supposed to do, we look phenomenal" said head coach Molly Alvey. "Once we figure out that we can control things on our side, we will be a really great team. I think our blocking was light-years better in sets 3, 4, and 5. We had zero blocks in the first two sets and finished the match with 12. Emily MacIntyre has been so consistent, it is unreal. I am really proud of her right now. Emily Hayden consistently hits above .300 for us and she has been getting her job done. I also think Mary Crema has stepped up into her role. At the beginning of the season she was second guessing herself, but now she has decided what her role is going to be and has taken control of it."
The Bearcats (4-13) finished with 56 kills, 80 digs and a season-high 12.0 blocks in the match. The Musketeers (11-8) had 59 kills, 74 digs and 14.5 blocks.
Senior Jordanne Scott (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North) led all scorers with 22 kills while classmate Emily Hayden (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) had 11 kills. Defensively, the Bearcats were paced by junior Emily MacIntyre (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown) who had 32 digs, and freshman Mary Crema (Loveland, Ohio./Mount Notre Dame) who tied a career high with 13 digs.
The Bearcats got off to a hot start, winning the first game 25-23. The two teams played evenly through much of the set with neither gaining more than a three point lead throughout. With the score tied at 19-19, Crema served up two aces, coupled with a Xavier error, to give the Cincinnati a 22-19 lead. A kill by Hayden gave the Bearcats set point at 24-21, but the Musketeers climbed back to within a point at 24-23. Alvey called a timeout to organize her team, and the team executed the game plan, using another Hayden kill to put away the match. Scott and senior Becca Refenes (Westland, Mich./Lutheran Westland)each recorded four kills in the game while MacIntyre added 12 digs.
Xavier responded in the second set, winning 28-26 and tying the match at 1-1. With the match tied at 14-14, XU rattled off six consecutive points to jump out to a 20-14 lead. After a timeout, the Bearcats responded by scoring seven of the next eight points. Back-to-back kills by senior Megan Turner (Ontario, N.Y./Wayne Central) and Hayden brought the score to 21-19 and a block by Hayden and Turner tied the score at 21-21. The teams traded points until the score was tied at 26-26. A Cincinnati service error and a Xavier kill finally ended the set, giving the Musketeers the 28-26 advantage. Scott tallied six kills in the game and senior Rachel Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Grand Valley State) contributed 15 assists.
Xavier built a strong lead in the third set, surging to a 19-14 lead on a Cincinnati error. The Musketeers held their lead at 22-17 until three consecutive kills by Scott brought the score to 22-20. UC tried to rally, but Xavier used to kills to take the game 25-21.
The Bearcats stormed back into the match to win game No. 4 26-24. With the score tied at 8-8, the Bearcats used three consecutive points to take a 11-8 lead. Xavier re-tied the set at 15-15 and then scored the next five points, including three kills to move ahead 20-15. Facing a five-point deficit late in the fourth game, Cincinnati rallied with five consecutive points to tie the match at 20-20. The Bearcats received two kills from Hayden, a kill from Turner and a service ace from Crema during the run which forced Xavier into a timeout. UC held the tie through 22-22 and them used two kills by Scott to reach set point on 24-22. Xavier fought back to tie the match at 24-24 and a block by sophomores Madison Lang (Bloomfield Mich./Florida Atlantic) and Me'Ashah Nicholson (Shiloh, Ill./Belleville Althoff) gave the Bearcats their second set point. A Xavier error is what finally put the game away, giving Cincinnati the 26-24 victory and tying the match at 2-2.
In the deciding fifth set, UC scored the first two points before falling victim to a nine-point run from XU to bring the score to 9-2. A Xavier service error finally ended the Musketeer run, but the Bearcats could not capitalize on the mistake Xavier held an eight point lead at 13-5 when the Cincinnati scored four straight points, including a Nicholson service ace and a Hayden kill. After a timeout, the Musketeers recorded a kill to give them match point at 14-9. The Bearcats put together several defensive stops before a Xavier block gave the Muskies the final point.
Next on the schedule for the Bearcats is a two-match home series against Rutgers and Seton Hall. UC will host the Scarlet Knights on Friday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m. and will match up against the Pirates on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 2 p.m. Both matches will be played in Fifth Third Arena.
-GoBEARCATS.com-