TicketsCINCINNATI – Sunday's match was full of suspense as the University of Cincinnati volleyball team battled back-and-forth with SMU in a five-set duel. The Bearcats were unable to hang on and dropped the contest 3-2 after an intense 21-19 final set.
SMU took the opening set 25-21 before UC answered with a 26-24 triumph in the second. The third set went to the Mustangs 25-20 before the Bearcats forced a fifth with a 25-21 set four victory.
// NOTES
• UC falls to 5-11 on the season and suffers its first conference loss, putting it at 3-1
• SMU is now 10-5 overall and 4-0 in conference
• With her first kill in the fourth set, Carly Nolan joined UC's 1,000 career kill club
• She becomes the 20th Bearcat in history to achieve the feat and now sits 19th all-time in career kills with a total of 1,005
• Nolan also became the first Bearcat since November 9, 2012 to have a 20-20 performance. She finished with 20 kills and 22 digs on the day
• The double-double was Nolan's ninth of the season and fourth in four conference matches
• Jade Tingelhoff's 61 assists was a new career-high
• Tingelhoff is also the first Bearcat since September 21, 2012 to have 60 or more assists in a match
• With 11 digs, Tingelhoff recorded her eighth double-double of the season and fourth in conference play
• Erica Kostelac recorded a career-high in kills with 20
• For the second consecutive match, Jasmine Jones recorded a career-high 15 kills. She led the team with six blocks
• Abby Williams tied her season-high with 23 digs
• 66 total assists is a season-high for UC
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: SMU, 25-21
• The Bearcats got out to an early lead but the Mustangs worked back to tie the game at seven. UC found themselves down after the tie but then tied the set later at ten after a block by Kostelac and Maya Muldrow. SMU was able to stay ahead, but the Bearcats rallied late for a five-point run. Down 23-15, back-to-back kills by Nolan and a kill by Jones made it 23-18 and forced the Mustangs to call a timeout. Out of the short break, the Bearcats would score the next two points via a block by Jones and Elly Ogle and an ace by Nolan. However, SMU hung on and pulled off the first set victory.
Set 2: UC, 26-24
• UC got down but never gave up in set two, pulling a last-minute scoring spree to even the match at 1-1. The Bearcats got out ahead in set two as a kill by Ogle gave the home team a 3-2 advantage. The Bearcats would break a 4-4 tie on a Kostelac kill and Muldrow block for a two-point lead. The Mustangs were able to pull ahead by one, 12-11, causing a Cincinnati timeout. On the next play, the game was tied back up on a Jones kill and UC went back ahead on a kill by Kostelac. A 13-13 tie disappeared after three-straight Bearcats points, but the Mustangs tied the match at 16 after calling a timeout of their own. The match went back and forth down the stretch until the Bearcats would put things away. Down 24-23, Kostelac came up with a kill, the Mustangs had an attack error and Kostelac and Muldrow teamed up for a block to give UC a one-point lead. The Bearcats would take the set on another kill from Kostelac off a Tingelhoff assist.
Set 3: SMU, 25-20
• Muldrow got set three started with a kill and Williams followed with an ace to keep the momentum on the Bearcats' side of the court. The Mustangs went on to put together a 4-0 run to go up 6-4 before a big kill from Nolan stopped it. SMU would keep putting together runs in the third set and found itself leading by as much as eight points (18-10). UC was able to get the lead back to within four points when Kostelac had another kill to put the score at 20-16. An ace later by Chrysanthi Stamatiou kept it a four-point set. Nolan was able to get in one more kill before the set was over, but SMU would take a 2-1 match lead with the 25-20 set win.
Set 4: UC, 25-21
• The Mustangs took the first two points of set four before a block by Nolan and Muldrow got the Bearcats on the board. Williams then tied the set at two with an ace, her second of the day. The set would become tied multiple times, but the Bearcats would not find themselves down again. Back-to-back kills by Jones and Kostelac, both assisted by Tingelhoff, gave the Bearcats an 8-5 advantage. UC was able to hold on to that three-point lead for a while, getting in front 12-9, 13-10 and 14-11, all thanks to SMU errors. The Mustangs worked back to tie the set 15-15 and later on 19-19, but the Bearcats never relented. Three-straight points via a Jones kill, a Nolan/Jones block and a Nolan kill kept UC on pace for the 25-21 set victory.
Set 5: SMU, 21-19
• The final set was full of drama, consisting of 16 ties and nine lead changes until SMU was able to survive as the victor. UC was able to stay a point ahead for what seemed like the majority of the set. Maya Eller started the deciding set with an ace. A Nolan kill put the Bearcats up 5-3 early on. After kills by Jones and Kostelac to give UC a 7-4 lead, SMU was forced to call a timeout. The visitors were able to work back and tie the game up and take a one-point lead, but UC quickly tie it back 8-8. At a 14-14 tie, Nolan and Jones earned a block that positioned the Bearcats for the possibility of the set and match point. But the set was far from over. Every time UC took a one-point lead, SMU was able to tie it back up on the next play. That was the case until SMU ended a 19-19 tie as two straight points (an ace and a block), gave the Mustangs the match.
// NEXT MATCH
The Bearcats will head east to continue AAC action. UC will play at UConn on Friday and will then take on Temple on Sunday.
// 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.
SMU took the opening set 25-21 before UC answered with a 26-24 triumph in the second. The third set went to the Mustangs 25-20 before the Bearcats forced a fifth with a 25-21 set four victory.
// NOTES
• UC falls to 5-11 on the season and suffers its first conference loss, putting it at 3-1
• SMU is now 10-5 overall and 4-0 in conference
• With her first kill in the fourth set, Carly Nolan joined UC's 1,000 career kill club
• She becomes the 20th Bearcat in history to achieve the feat and now sits 19th all-time in career kills with a total of 1,005
• Nolan also became the first Bearcat since November 9, 2012 to have a 20-20 performance. She finished with 20 kills and 22 digs on the day
• The double-double was Nolan's ninth of the season and fourth in four conference matches
• Jade Tingelhoff's 61 assists was a new career-high
• Tingelhoff is also the first Bearcat since September 21, 2012 to have 60 or more assists in a match
• With 11 digs, Tingelhoff recorded her eighth double-double of the season and fourth in conference play
• Erica Kostelac recorded a career-high in kills with 20
• For the second consecutive match, Jasmine Jones recorded a career-high 15 kills. She led the team with six blocks
• Abby Williams tied her season-high with 23 digs
• 66 total assists is a season-high for UC
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: SMU, 25-21
• The Bearcats got out to an early lead but the Mustangs worked back to tie the game at seven. UC found themselves down after the tie but then tied the set later at ten after a block by Kostelac and Maya Muldrow. SMU was able to stay ahead, but the Bearcats rallied late for a five-point run. Down 23-15, back-to-back kills by Nolan and a kill by Jones made it 23-18 and forced the Mustangs to call a timeout. Out of the short break, the Bearcats would score the next two points via a block by Jones and Elly Ogle and an ace by Nolan. However, SMU hung on and pulled off the first set victory.
Set 2: UC, 26-24
• UC got down but never gave up in set two, pulling a last-minute scoring spree to even the match at 1-1. The Bearcats got out ahead in set two as a kill by Ogle gave the home team a 3-2 advantage. The Bearcats would break a 4-4 tie on a Kostelac kill and Muldrow block for a two-point lead. The Mustangs were able to pull ahead by one, 12-11, causing a Cincinnati timeout. On the next play, the game was tied back up on a Jones kill and UC went back ahead on a kill by Kostelac. A 13-13 tie disappeared after three-straight Bearcats points, but the Mustangs tied the match at 16 after calling a timeout of their own. The match went back and forth down the stretch until the Bearcats would put things away. Down 24-23, Kostelac came up with a kill, the Mustangs had an attack error and Kostelac and Muldrow teamed up for a block to give UC a one-point lead. The Bearcats would take the set on another kill from Kostelac off a Tingelhoff assist.
Set 3: SMU, 25-20
• Muldrow got set three started with a kill and Williams followed with an ace to keep the momentum on the Bearcats' side of the court. The Mustangs went on to put together a 4-0 run to go up 6-4 before a big kill from Nolan stopped it. SMU would keep putting together runs in the third set and found itself leading by as much as eight points (18-10). UC was able to get the lead back to within four points when Kostelac had another kill to put the score at 20-16. An ace later by Chrysanthi Stamatiou kept it a four-point set. Nolan was able to get in one more kill before the set was over, but SMU would take a 2-1 match lead with the 25-20 set win.
Set 4: UC, 25-21
• The Mustangs took the first two points of set four before a block by Nolan and Muldrow got the Bearcats on the board. Williams then tied the set at two with an ace, her second of the day. The set would become tied multiple times, but the Bearcats would not find themselves down again. Back-to-back kills by Jones and Kostelac, both assisted by Tingelhoff, gave the Bearcats an 8-5 advantage. UC was able to hold on to that three-point lead for a while, getting in front 12-9, 13-10 and 14-11, all thanks to SMU errors. The Mustangs worked back to tie the set 15-15 and later on 19-19, but the Bearcats never relented. Three-straight points via a Jones kill, a Nolan/Jones block and a Nolan kill kept UC on pace for the 25-21 set victory.
Set 5: SMU, 21-19
• The final set was full of drama, consisting of 16 ties and nine lead changes until SMU was able to survive as the victor. UC was able to stay a point ahead for what seemed like the majority of the set. Maya Eller started the deciding set with an ace. A Nolan kill put the Bearcats up 5-3 early on. After kills by Jones and Kostelac to give UC a 7-4 lead, SMU was forced to call a timeout. The visitors were able to work back and tie the game up and take a one-point lead, but UC quickly tie it back 8-8. At a 14-14 tie, Nolan and Jones earned a block that positioned the Bearcats for the possibility of the set and match point. But the set was far from over. Every time UC took a one-point lead, SMU was able to tie it back up on the next play. That was the case until SMU ended a 19-19 tie as two straight points (an ace and a block), gave the Mustangs the match.
// NEXT MATCH
The Bearcats will head east to continue AAC action. UC will play at UConn on Friday and will then take on Temple on Sunday.
// 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.