TicketsSTORRS, Conn. - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team defeated UConn 3-1 in an American Athletic Conference match on Sunday afternoon in Storrs, Connecticut. The Bearcats responded from a 3-0 loss at Temple on Friday night to top the Huskies in every statistical category.
Cincinnati dropped the second set to head to the intermission with a 1-1 score, but won the last two games to win the match.
Junior Emma Roberson (Brooks, Ky./Evansville) led the Bearcats with 18 kills and a .378 hitting percentage. Redshirt junior Caitlin Ogletree (Montgomery, Texas/Houston) added 39 assists while senior Jamie Netisingha (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central) led all players with 26 digs.
// Notables
- With the win, Cincinnati improves to 12-6 on the season and 4-2 in the American while UConn falls to 9-8 and 2-4.
- Cincinnati topped UConn in kills (51 to 45), hitting percentage (.205 to .111), assists (49 to 38), service aces (six to two), digs (75 to 60) and blocks (11.0 to 9.0).
- Netisingha finished with a match-high 26 digs, and has recorded double-digit digs in all but one match this season. She also has notched at least 20 digs on seven occasions this year.
- Roberson tallied a match-high 18 kills and has hit double-digit kills in 11 of the last 12 matches.
- Senior Me'Ashah Nicholson (Shiloh, Ill./Belleville Althoff) had a strong overall match with 10 kills, six digs, four blocks and a .364 hitting percentage.
- Junior Amelia Wegman (Aurora, Ill./Rosary) contributed 13 digs in the Bearcats' effort.
- Netisingha tied a career high with two service aces.
- The Bearcats and the Huskies will meet again for a Halloween match on Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. in Fifth Third Arena.
// Alvey's Additions
"I think we played very well as an overall team today" head coach Molly Alvey said. "We played a very consistent serve and pass game which helped to keep the play very fluid on our side. Jamie (Netisingha) played well in our defensive system. She sat in her spot and got the balls that came to her."
// Set Breakdown
Set 1: UC 25, UConn 16
- The Bearcats responded from a poor showing at Temple on Friday night by dominating the opening set against the Huskies.
- A three-point scoring run, including two kills from sophomore Ciara Hill (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) and a kill Nicholson, put UC ahead 6-3.
- Cincinnati scored 10 or 12 points to increase the lead to 20-11 following a Netisingha service ace.
- UConn connected for four consecutive points to get within 23-16 but back-to-back kills by Wegman closed out the set for UC.
- The Bearcats scored in bunches, tallying at least three points at a time on five different occasions in the game.
Set 2: UConn 25, UC 15
- UConn opened up a large 14-5 lead after eight straight points in a scoring run that burned a Cincinnati timeout.
- Another Husky run, this time of five points, put the home team ahead 20-9. UConn used two blocks and two kills in the run.
- The Bearcats scored four of five points late, including kills by Hill and Roberson and Netisingha's second ace, to get within 22-14.
- A kill by Roberson fended off one set point for UConn, but a kill by UConn's Camille Evans finished the game at 25-15.
- Cincinnati hit -.029 for the game with nine kills and 10 attacking errors.
Set 3: UC 25, UConn 21
- After the teams took turns dominating a game apiece to open the match, things settled down in the third set, with UC earning a four-point victory.
- UConn scored the first point of the game, but Cincinnati rattled off four unanswered thanks in part to freshman Cortnee Bowser (Kent, Ohio/Theodore Roosevelt) who recorded a block and a kill in the run.
- Three UConn attack errors and an emphatic block by Nicholson and Hill pushed the UC lead to 20-16 and forced the Huskies into a timeout.
- UC spread the offensive around to close out the set, getting kills from Ogletree, Nicholson, Wegman and Roberson to win the game 25-21.
- After a poor second set, the Bearcats responded with a .308 hitting percentage in the third with 15 kills from six players.
Set 4: UC 25, UConn 15
- Facing a 10-6 deficit, the Bearcats scored six consecutive points to take a 12-10 lead. Roberson contributed three kills during the run for Cincinnati.
- Back-to-back kills by Roberson and Nicholson pushed the Bearcats' lead to 17-13 and caused a timeout call by the Huskies.
- Five straight points by Cincinnati nearly closed out the match, pushing the visitor's ahead 24-14 behind kills by Nicholson and Hill and a Nicholson/Ogletree block.
- A point later, UConn's Devon Maugle faltered on her serve to give the Bearcats the 25-15 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
- Roberson had seven kills in the set while Ogletree added 14 assists and Netisingha collected nine digs.
// Up Next
Cincinnati returns home to Fifth Third Arena for two American matches next weekend. The Bearcats welcome USF for a 7 p.m., match on Friday, Oct. 17 and then face league-leading UCF at 1 p.m., on Sunday, Oct. 19.
// Follow the Bearcats
For all of the latest information on Cincinnati volleyball, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up to the minute updates, follow Cincinnati Volleyball (@cincinnativball) and Coach Alvey (@CoachAlveyUC) on twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Facebook and Instagram.
// Ticket Information
Season tickets for all 15 home matches can be purchased for as little $10. For more information, visitGoBEARCATS.com/tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX.
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