TicketsFORT COLLINS, Colo. – University of Cincinnati volleyball closed out a perfect 3-0 weekend against tough competition with a five-set victory against Florida State Sunday afternoon. UC took the first set 25-18 but dropped the next two by scores of 25-21 and 25-18. Down but not out, the Bearcats rallied to win the fourth 25-22 then scored the final four points of the match to take the fifth and final set 15-11.
// NOTES
• UC improves to 5-1 on the year while FSU drops to 1-4
• Jordan Thompson had another incredible match. The redshirt-junior bested her career-high with 32 kills, tying both UC's and the American Athletic Conference's record for the fourth-most kills in a match
• Thompson accomplished a double-double with ten digs and also added in a team-high four aces
• Erica Kostelac had a strong day with 16 kills with a .371 hitting percentage
• Armania Heckenmueller led the offense with 53 assists and earned her first career double-double with ten digs
• Abby Williams finished with a team-high 14 digs while also serving up three aces
• Dasha Cabarkapa led with three blocks
// COACH ALVEY'S COMMENTS
"What a weekend of physical demands and mental demands. I'm most impressed with how mentally we kept our composure and stayed in every single match and competed. Even in moments we were up, we did a great job of controlling the match. In moments we were down, we did a great job of never stepping away from the match. We were in it at all times. We had unbelievable performances from a lot of people on our team. I thought Abby had a big weekend and stepped up big time. In serving in the match with Florida State was incredible. Everyone will notice Jordan's attacks right away but her serving dominated the whole weekend. The opportunities she created for us from the serving line was really impressive. Everyone who came off the bench was amazing, just in the small details. You don't have a lot of opportunities to do a lot but what you do is really important. The leadership we got from all our upperclassmen with the adversity we had to face this weekend was the stability and the groundwork of our success. We had big time plays and leadership from all of our seniors – Jade, Jasmine, Abby and Carly. You couldn't ask for a better weekend against three top-level programs."
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC, 25-18
UC capitalized on an early 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead at the onset. Williams served up an ace but that was followed by three-straight FSU kills to make it a one-point set. The set became tied at nine before a nice kill by Cabarkapa. A block by Cabarkapa and Heckenmueller started a 3-0 run for the Bearcats to help them get back in front. That advantage grew to five points at the 17-12 mark. Kills from Nolan and Kostelac and a block from Nolan grew that lead to six later on. Heckenmueller fired an ace to score the final point of the set.
Set 2: FSU, 25-21
The Seminoles were able to get out to a 5-0 lead to start the second. Thompson ended that streak with a kill. The Bearcats kept fighting back to get closer to the lead. Down 14-9, a FSU error and Thompson kill brought the score to 14-11. A 3-0 run by the Seminoles caused the Bearcats to call a timeout. Out of the break, Kostelac had a big kill and the Seminoles had an error to break into the deficit. Down by one, Thompson tied the set on an ace then tied it back up 18-18 with a kill. Unfortunately, FSU strung together three straight points on a kill, block and ace en route to taking the set.
Set 3: FSU, 25-18
The Bearcats got started in the third set with three quick kills from Thompson. Cabarkapa had a block with Kostelac and a kill on the next play to force the Seminoles to call a timeout as the Bearcats led 8-3. FSU worked back and the set became tied at nine. After a 12-12 tie, FSU scored two straight and led the rest of the way. The Bearcats put together two late on a Thompson kill and a Seminoles' attack error, but it was not enough to win the set.
Set 4: UC, 25-22
Hannah Bolinger opened up the fourth set with a kill from fellow freshman Heckenmueller. Back-to-back aces served up by Nolan made the early UC lead 7-4. The Bearcats hung on to their lead until an attack error tied the set at twelve. Carbarkapa broke that with a kill. Kostelac made it back-to-back points with a kill of her own. The set became tied again, this time at 15, and FSU took a two-point lead. However, Kostelac and Nolan answered with a kill and ace, respectively. The remainder of the set remained close, but UC pulled away, scoring the last two points via a Kostelac kill and an error.
Set 5: UC, 15-11
Thompson began the final set with a kill and added in an ace shortly after to put the Bearcats ahead 3-1. The Seminoles snuck back in to lead 4-3, but another Thompson kill tied things at four. The set continued to go back-and-forth as the intensity was at a high on both sides of the court. Finally, out of an 11-11 deadlock, Nolan hammered home a kill and the Bearcats did not look back from there. UC scored the final four points of the match courtesy of two Thompson kills and a FSU error to go perfect on the weekend.
// NEXT MATCH.
UC remains on the road for another weekend tournament. The Bearcats travel to Duke to take on the host Blue Devils, Coastal Carolina and ETSU on Friday and 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).
// NOTES
• UC improves to 5-1 on the year while FSU drops to 1-4
• Jordan Thompson had another incredible match. The redshirt-junior bested her career-high with 32 kills, tying both UC's and the American Athletic Conference's record for the fourth-most kills in a match
• Thompson accomplished a double-double with ten digs and also added in a team-high four aces
• Erica Kostelac had a strong day with 16 kills with a .371 hitting percentage
• Armania Heckenmueller led the offense with 53 assists and earned her first career double-double with ten digs
• Abby Williams finished with a team-high 14 digs while also serving up three aces
• Dasha Cabarkapa led with three blocks
// COACH ALVEY'S COMMENTS
"What a weekend of physical demands and mental demands. I'm most impressed with how mentally we kept our composure and stayed in every single match and competed. Even in moments we were up, we did a great job of controlling the match. In moments we were down, we did a great job of never stepping away from the match. We were in it at all times. We had unbelievable performances from a lot of people on our team. I thought Abby had a big weekend and stepped up big time. In serving in the match with Florida State was incredible. Everyone will notice Jordan's attacks right away but her serving dominated the whole weekend. The opportunities she created for us from the serving line was really impressive. Everyone who came off the bench was amazing, just in the small details. You don't have a lot of opportunities to do a lot but what you do is really important. The leadership we got from all our upperclassmen with the adversity we had to face this weekend was the stability and the groundwork of our success. We had big time plays and leadership from all of our seniors – Jade, Jasmine, Abby and Carly. You couldn't ask for a better weekend against three top-level programs."
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC, 25-18
UC capitalized on an early 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead at the onset. Williams served up an ace but that was followed by three-straight FSU kills to make it a one-point set. The set became tied at nine before a nice kill by Cabarkapa. A block by Cabarkapa and Heckenmueller started a 3-0 run for the Bearcats to help them get back in front. That advantage grew to five points at the 17-12 mark. Kills from Nolan and Kostelac and a block from Nolan grew that lead to six later on. Heckenmueller fired an ace to score the final point of the set.
Set 2: FSU, 25-21
The Seminoles were able to get out to a 5-0 lead to start the second. Thompson ended that streak with a kill. The Bearcats kept fighting back to get closer to the lead. Down 14-9, a FSU error and Thompson kill brought the score to 14-11. A 3-0 run by the Seminoles caused the Bearcats to call a timeout. Out of the break, Kostelac had a big kill and the Seminoles had an error to break into the deficit. Down by one, Thompson tied the set on an ace then tied it back up 18-18 with a kill. Unfortunately, FSU strung together three straight points on a kill, block and ace en route to taking the set.
Set 3: FSU, 25-18
The Bearcats got started in the third set with three quick kills from Thompson. Cabarkapa had a block with Kostelac and a kill on the next play to force the Seminoles to call a timeout as the Bearcats led 8-3. FSU worked back and the set became tied at nine. After a 12-12 tie, FSU scored two straight and led the rest of the way. The Bearcats put together two late on a Thompson kill and a Seminoles' attack error, but it was not enough to win the set.
Set 4: UC, 25-22
Hannah Bolinger opened up the fourth set with a kill from fellow freshman Heckenmueller. Back-to-back aces served up by Nolan made the early UC lead 7-4. The Bearcats hung on to their lead until an attack error tied the set at twelve. Carbarkapa broke that with a kill. Kostelac made it back-to-back points with a kill of her own. The set became tied again, this time at 15, and FSU took a two-point lead. However, Kostelac and Nolan answered with a kill and ace, respectively. The remainder of the set remained close, but UC pulled away, scoring the last two points via a Kostelac kill and an error.
Set 5: UC, 15-11
Thompson began the final set with a kill and added in an ace shortly after to put the Bearcats ahead 3-1. The Seminoles snuck back in to lead 4-3, but another Thompson kill tied things at four. The set continued to go back-and-forth as the intensity was at a high on both sides of the court. Finally, out of an 11-11 deadlock, Nolan hammered home a kill and the Bearcats did not look back from there. UC scored the final four points of the match courtesy of two Thompson kills and a FSU error to go perfect on the weekend.
// NEXT MATCH.
UC remains on the road for another weekend tournament. The Bearcats travel to Duke to take on the host Blue Devils, Coastal Carolina and ETSU on Friday and 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).