TicketsCINCINNATI - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team overcame a 2-1 deficit to beat USF 3-2 on Friday night in Fifth Third Arena. The Bearcats responded from a flat third set to win a do-or-die fourth set and come out victorious in the fifth.
Three players recorded double-digit kills for the Bearcats, including 17 from junior Morgan Allred (Carrolton, Texas/Hebron). Senior Me'Ashah Nicholson (Shiloh, Ill./Belleville Althoff) played a very balanced match for Cincinnati, recording 12 kills, four digs and four blocks. Junior Emma Roberson (Brooks, Ky./Evansville) added 10 kills and a .400 hitting percentage.
All of the Bearcats chipped in defensively with eight players picking up at least four digs. Senior Jamie Netisingha (Westmont, Ill./Hinsdale Central) led the team with 18 while freshman Macie Pifer (Euclid, Ohio/Beaumont) contributed nine.
Cincinnati was playing in just its second five-set match of the season and is now 2-0 in extended matches. Cincinnati beat Houston 3-2 on the road to open American Athletic Conference play on Sept. 26.
// Notables
- With the win, Cincinnati improves to 13-6 on the season and 5-2 in the American while USF falls to 8-11 and 2-5.
- The Bearcats and the Bulls both finished the match with a .185 hitting percentage, the first time UC and its opponent have recorded the same mark all season.
- USF recorded more kills that UC (55 to 53) but Cincinnati won in digs (65 to 62) and blocks (9.0 to 7.5). Both teams dished out 49 assists.
- Netisingha finished with 18 digs and has recorded double-digit digs in all but one match this season.
- Roberson tallied 10 kills and has hit double-digit kills in 12 of the last 13 matches.
- Cincinnati held USF to under a .100 hitting percentage in three of the five sets.
- The Bearcats and the Bulls will meet again in Tampa, Florida, to close out the regular season on Nov. 28.
// Set Breakdown
Set 1: UC 25, USF 17
- The teams were tied at 5-5 when the Bearcats employed a five-point scoring run to go ahead 10-5. Both Allred and Nicholson tallied two kills in the rally.
- USF was forced into its second timeout of the game after a kill by freshman Cortnee Bowser (Kent, Ohio/Theodore Roosevelt) and a Bulls' attack error gave Cincinnati a 15-8 lead.
- A powerful kill by Nicholson ended the game at 25-17.
- The Bearcats recorded five kills in the set.
- Cincinnati hit at a .346 clip while holding the Bulls to just a .069 mark.
- Nicholson notched five kills for UC in the set.
Set 2: USF 25, UC 19
- Neither team had more than a one point lead throughout the set until a five-point USF scoring run gave the Bulls a 23-17 lead.
- Out of a UC timeout, the Bearcats responded with an Allred kill and an Ogletree service ace to get within 23-19, but back-to-back USF kills ended the game.
Set 3: USF 25, UC 10
- Alvey called a timeout after USF surged to a 7-1 lead early in the game. The Bearcats had a -.429 hitting percentage through the first eight points.
- USF extended the lead to 10-1 before a kill by junior Amelia Wegman (Aurora, Ill./Rosary) got UC back on the board.
- The USF lead ballooned to 20-5 before UC called its second timeout.
- The Bulls won the set 25-10 after two kills by Erin Fairs and Bree Scarbrough.
Set 4: UC 25, USF 17
- USF opened an 8-4 lead but the Bearcats used a kill by senior Madi Lang (Commerce Township, Mich./Florida Atlantic), a service ace by Nicholson and a USF attacking error to get within a point at 8-7.
- UC tied the score at 11-11 on another Bulls error and took a 13-11 lead on back-to-back kills by Roberson and sophomore Ciara Hill (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook). It was UC's first lead since being ahead 12-11 in the second game.
- Consecutive kills by Nicholson and Hill put the Bearcats ahead 17-14 and forced a USF timeout.
- The Bearcats held the lead and won the set 25-17 on an attacking error by USF.
- Cincinnati committed just one attacking error in the game for a .394 hitting clip.
Set 5: UC 15, USF 11
- The Bearcats entered the final set on the offensive, but the Bulls used a pair of blocks to tie the score at 5-5.
- Three straight UC points, including two kills by Hill, put the Bearcats ahead 8-5.
- Back-to-back blocks by the Bulls re-tied the score at 8-8 but a USF rotation error wiped out both of the points and added another for the Bearcats for a 9-6 UC lead.
- The Bearcats rode the momentum from there, scoring the final two points on kills by Allred and Roberson to win 15-11.
// Up Next
Cincinnati will be back in Fifth Third Arena on Sunday, Oct. 19, to host league-leading UCF at 1 p.m. The Knights are at the top of the American Athletic Conference leaderboard with a perfect 6-0 record to date.
// 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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