TicketsSept. 10, 2016
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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - The University of Cincinnati volleyball team battled from two sets down to force a decisive fifth set but ultimately lost a heartbreaker to Southern Illinois 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-16, 25-22, 12-15) on Saturday night. The match was the finale of the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational held at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky.
// NOTABLES
- Cincinnati fell to 4-5 on the year while Southern Illinois improved to 7-3.
- Sophomore Jordan Thompson (Edina, Minn./Edina) was named to the All-Tournament team, marking the third straight regular-season tournament she has earned the honor.
- Thompson recorded a match-high 25 kills while hitting .477 for the Bearcats. She added six digs, three blocks, and two service aces to the Bearcats' efforts.
- For the second consecutive match, sophomore Jade Tingelhoff (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South) finished one dig shy of a double-double. She also was two assists short of a career high, dishing out 49 on the night.
- Sophomore Carly Nolan (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake South) finished with 12 kills and eight digs while tying a career high with three assists.
- The team finished with nine services aces, setting a new season high.
- It was the first five-set match of the season for Cincinnati.
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: SIU 25, UC 19
- A three point scoring run, including a block by seniors Lise Alaiwan (Villeneuve Loubet, France/Kedge Business School) and Ciara Hill (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) and a service ace from Thompson, gave the Bearcats a 5-2 lead. The Salukis responded with six of the next seven points to go ahead 8-6 and force a Cincinnati timeout.
- The Southern Illinois momentum carried through 13-7 with three straight blocks by the duo of Meg Viggars and Alex Rosignol.
- The Bearcats used their second timeout of the game after a service error and an attacking error made it 20-14 for the Salukis.
- Cincinnati stormed back to within 23-19 to force the Salukis into a timeout of their own. SIU accounted for three attacking errors in the run while Thompson added a pair of kills.
- Out of the timeout, the Salukis scored on consecutive points for the 25-19 win.
Set 2:SIU 25, UC 22
- The Bearcats put together a four-point scoring run, including kills by Nolan and redshirt senior Alison Kimmel (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North), to take an early 8-4 lead.
- Consecutive kills by junior Maya Muldrow (Raleigh, N.C./Wakefield) and Thompson forced an SIU timeout at 19-14, but the Salukis crept back into the game with three straight points to get within 16-15.
- SIU continued its scoring run until it was ahead 19-16 and powered that momentum to a 25-22 victory in the second game.
Set 3: UC 25, SIU 16
- Sophomore Abby Williams (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) singlehandedly broke a 6-6 tie with three consecutive service aces for a 9-6 UC lead and a Southern Illinois timeout.
- The Bearcats kept the momentum alive, scoring six of seven points with kills by Kimmel, Nolan and Thompson, for a 15-8 advantage.
- The Salukis got within 20-14 to force a Cincinnati timeout, but UC used a solo block by Kimmel and a kill by Nolan to win the game 25-16 and keep the match alive.
Set 4: UC 25, SIU 22
- The teams traded points to open the set until the Bearcats took an 11-8 lead with a kill by Nolan and two by Thompson.
- The Salukis got within four points at 17-13 but consecutive kills by Nolan expanded the UC advantage to 19-13 in the final stretch of the fourth game.
- Southern Illinois cut into the UC lead with back-to-back points to get within 23-19 and force a Cincinnati timeout.
- Out of the timeout, the Salukis made it even closer at 23-21 but Thompson scored on two kills to win the fourth game for UC 25-22 and take the match to a deciding fifth set.
Set 5: SIU 15, UC 12
- The score was deadlocked at 3-3 until a four-point Salukis run put SIU ahead 7-3 and forced a Cincinnati timeout.
- The Bearcats chipped away until a kill by Kimmel got them within a point at 9-8.
- An SIU service error and a Thompson service ace made it 13-12 but back-to-back kills by SIU's Andrea Estrada ended the game and the match.
// UP NEXT
After three weeks on the road to open the season, Cincinnati finally returns home for the final two matches of non-conference play on Sept. 14 and 17. The Bearcats will host Miami (Ohio) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday to open play in Fifth Third Arena, and also will welcome Furman at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
// 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 (@GoBearcatsVB) and Coach Alvey (@CoachAlveyUC) on twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Facebook (GoBearcatsVB) and Instagram (GoBearcatsVB).
// EXPERIENCE UC
The University of Cincinnati department of athletics announced an initiative entitled Experience UC, geared toward inviting the community to campus to see firsthand the great things about and surrounding the university. Experience UC includes complimentary admission for patrons attending women's basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, women's tennis, men's and women's soccer, swimming and diving and track and field home events.