TicketsGREENVILLE, N.C. – University of Cincinnati volleyball opened American Athletic Conference play with a commanding 3-0 sweep at ECU Friday night.
A trio of Bearcats posted double-doubles in kills and digs while the team hit a season-high .417 in the performance.
// NOTES
• UC picks up its tenth win on the season to sit at 10-4. ECU falls to 7-4
• Carly Nolan, Jordan Thompson and Erica Kostelac all had double-doubles
Nolan had a team-high 19 kills and ten digs while hitting .421.
Thompson followed with 18 kills on a .548 attack percentage and ten digs.
Kostelac finished with 13 kills and ten digs while hitting .391
• Armania Heckenmueller set up the powerful attack with 43 assists and added in eight digs
// COACH ALVEY'S COMMENT
"What an impressive performance tonight. We had three double-doubles on the evening. Offensively, we looked like a machine. Armania put us in good spots to score and our first contact was really strong. I thought our serving was extremely aggressive from the start of the match to the end. We played a complete game tonight."
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC, 25-9
ECU scored the first two points of the night, but then UC went on a blistering pace, scoring twelve unanswered with Thompson back to serve. Nolan had five kills during the streak while Thompson had two plus an ace. Up 16-5, Nolan served up back-to-back aces to continue the offensive onslaught. It did not stop there as two more kills from Thompson, three from Nolan and one from Kostelac finished the set. The Bearcats hit .500 in the first set while holding the Pirates to just a -.036 hitting percentage.
Set 2: UC, 25-15
After the Pirates again began the scoring in set two, the Bearcats quickly got in control. A kill by Thompson, two by Nolan and an ace served up by Kostelac made it 5-2. Later on, a 3-0 run on Thompson and Kostelac kills and an ECU error increased the lead to 10-5. The lead continued to grow, getting up to nine points, 20-11, after a Heckenmueller ace. Two ECU errors handed the final two points and the second set to the Bearcats.
Set 3: UC, 25-21
The third set was closer than the first two, but UC … Tied 3-3, the Bearcats scored three of the next four tallies on kills by Kostelac, Nolan and an attack error. Later on the lead increased to 12-8 on another Nolan kill. The Pirates, however, went on a 3-0 run to make it a one-point game and force a timeout. Out of the break, the Bearcats connected on kills by Kostelac and Cabarkapa and three later on by Thompson to get back out in front with some more comfort. Up 16-15, Thompson's two kills made it 18-15 and the Pirates would not get within two points of the lead the remainder of the way. Two Nolan kills set up match point before Thompson hammered one home to end the night.
// NEXT MATCH.
The Bearcats return home to St. Ursula Academy to take on SMU and Houston next weekend. Match times are scheduled for Friday, September 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 30 at 1 p.m.
// 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).
A trio of Bearcats posted double-doubles in kills and digs while the team hit a season-high .417 in the performance.
// NOTES
• UC picks up its tenth win on the season to sit at 10-4. ECU falls to 7-4
• Carly Nolan, Jordan Thompson and Erica Kostelac all had double-doubles
Nolan had a team-high 19 kills and ten digs while hitting .421.
Thompson followed with 18 kills on a .548 attack percentage and ten digs.
Kostelac finished with 13 kills and ten digs while hitting .391
• Armania Heckenmueller set up the powerful attack with 43 assists and added in eight digs
// COACH ALVEY'S COMMENT
"What an impressive performance tonight. We had three double-doubles on the evening. Offensively, we looked like a machine. Armania put us in good spots to score and our first contact was really strong. I thought our serving was extremely aggressive from the start of the match to the end. We played a complete game tonight."
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC, 25-9
ECU scored the first two points of the night, but then UC went on a blistering pace, scoring twelve unanswered with Thompson back to serve. Nolan had five kills during the streak while Thompson had two plus an ace. Up 16-5, Nolan served up back-to-back aces to continue the offensive onslaught. It did not stop there as two more kills from Thompson, three from Nolan and one from Kostelac finished the set. The Bearcats hit .500 in the first set while holding the Pirates to just a -.036 hitting percentage.
Set 2: UC, 25-15
After the Pirates again began the scoring in set two, the Bearcats quickly got in control. A kill by Thompson, two by Nolan and an ace served up by Kostelac made it 5-2. Later on, a 3-0 run on Thompson and Kostelac kills and an ECU error increased the lead to 10-5. The lead continued to grow, getting up to nine points, 20-11, after a Heckenmueller ace. Two ECU errors handed the final two points and the second set to the Bearcats.
Set 3: UC, 25-21
The third set was closer than the first two, but UC … Tied 3-3, the Bearcats scored three of the next four tallies on kills by Kostelac, Nolan and an attack error. Later on the lead increased to 12-8 on another Nolan kill. The Pirates, however, went on a 3-0 run to make it a one-point game and force a timeout. Out of the break, the Bearcats connected on kills by Kostelac and Cabarkapa and three later on by Thompson to get back out in front with some more comfort. Up 16-15, Thompson's two kills made it 18-15 and the Pirates would not get within two points of the lead the remainder of the way. Two Nolan kills set up match point before Thompson hammered one home to end the night.
// NEXT MATCH.
The Bearcats return home to St. Ursula Academy to take on SMU and Houston next weekend. Match times are scheduled for Friday, September 28 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 30 at 1 p.m.
// 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).