TicketsSep 7, 2013
CINCINNATI - Freshman Breanna Barksdale (Chula Vista, Calif./Eastlake) collected a career-high six kills and hit at a .385 clip but it was not enough as the University of Cincinnati volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-17) to the No. 24 University of North Carolina on Saturday afternoon in the finale of the Ohio Bobcat Invitational presented by Baymont Inn and Suites in Athens, Ohio.
Barksdale put away six kills while only hitting one error in the match. Her .385 hitting percentage was the highest of the year for any Bearcat with at least five kills. The newcomer also added three blocks to her effort and paced Cincinnati to a total of 6.0 blocks on the day.
UC recorded 23 assists on its 25 kills, led by junior Madi Lang (Commerce Township, Mich./Florida Atlantic) who offered up 13. Lang also led the team defensively, collecting a team-high eight digs and three blocks.
The Tar Heels got out to an early lead in all three games, but the Bearcats strung together strong segments throughout the match to keep pace. In the first game, UC found itself down 14-6 before a flurry of four-straight points brought it to within 14-10. Barksdale recorded two kills in the run and sophomore Amelia Wegman (Aurora, Ill./Rosary) added a kill to help get the Bearcats back in the game. The Tar Heels took the set 25-14, but Barksdale and Wegman each tallied three kills to push the UC offense.
In the second game, the teams traded points to open play, but five consecutive UNC points put the Tar Heels up 10-4, a lead they maintained through the game, winning 25-14. The Bearcats were never able to get into an offensive rhythm and finished with five kills on 34 attempts. UC's defense was the story in the second set, posting 4.0 blocks including two apiece from Barksdale and Lang.
Freshman Samantha Schrenker (Emlhurst, Ill./York Community) led the Bearcats in the final game with three kills, two digs and a .600 hitting percentage but North Carolina won the game 25-17.
UNC represented the first ranked opponent of the season for Cincinnati. The No. 24 Tar Heels climbed into the American Coaches' Association poll after the first week of play. The Bearcats will play four additional matches against teams currently ranked in the AVCA poll, including their next match against No. 16 Western Kentucky.
UC will travel to Bowling Green, Ky., to face the No. 16 Hilltoppers on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET.
-GoBEARCATS.com-