TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati volleyball played tough but fell in five sets to UCF Sunday afternoon in a battle of the top two teams in the American Athletic Conference.
The Knights improve to 18-3, 9-0 with the win while the Bearcats drop to 18-4, 8-1. The match is the final one to be played at St. Ursula Academy as the home site for UC. The next home game will be held in the newly renovated Fifth Third Arena on campus on Friday, November 2 at 7 p.m.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson led all in the match with 27 kills and also had ten digs, two aces and two assists
• Erica Kostelac and Maria Mallon both finished with 11 kills
• Jade Tingelhoff had 37 assists with 14 digs
• Abby Williams led the team with 21 digs
• Carly Nolan had a nice all-around day with 19 digs, two aces and six blocks
• Dasha Cabarkapa totaled a team-high eight blocks
// COACH ALVEY'S COMMENT
"Two great teams going at it today. We fought well at times. I believe we did a great job fighting back in set four to take the match to five sets. It's now time for us to regroup and put a plan together to get better this week."
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC, 25-23
The Knights got out ahead 8-4 in the opening set, but the Bearcats worked their way back in it. UC put together a scoring spree where it earned seven points in an eight-point stretch to lead 13-11. Kostelac ignited a 3-0 run that concluded with an ace and kill from Thompson. After UCF scored once, UC then went 4-0 with three blocks, all by Cabarkapa with the help from Nolan and two and Kostelac on the other. The Bearcats put together another 4-0 run later on to lead 19-16. Thompson had a kill, Nolan an ace and UCF had two errors during the streak. The Knights were able to tie the set late at 21, 22 and 23, but the Bearcats won it on back-to-back kills by Nolan.
Set 2: UCF, 27-25
UC got out ahead 3-1 but UCF responded to lead 5-3 early on in set two. Neither team was able to grab much of an advantage until a 4-0 run on two Mallon kills and two Knights' errors gave the Bearcats a 15-11 lead. Not long after, UCF scored six in a row to get ahead by two, 19-17. It came down to a close finish. Thompson tied it at 23 then gave UC set-point with kills. Another Thompson kill put UC in front 25-24. But, two UCF kills and a block allowed the Knights to score the final three points to tie the match at one.
Set 3: UCF, 25-15
The Bearcats got off to another lead, this time 4-1, but could not hold the Knights off. A 7-0 run put UCF out ahead 8-4. Cabarkapa ended the streak with a kill, but the deficit could not be overcome. UC brought the lead to within two points, 12-10, after a Kostelac kill, Cabarkapa and Nolan block, and Thompson kill, but UCF responded with another big run, this one 6-0. The set ended on a service error.
Set 4: UC, 27-25
UC battled in the fourth, fighting until the end to take the match to five sets. Down 7-4, UC scored three-straight on kills by Jasmine Jones and Kostelac. The Knights got out ahead 13-9, but a kill by Cabarkapa and UCF error made it a two-point set. Back-to-back kills by Kostelac and Mallon off assists from Tingelhoff tied the set at 17. Georgia Tselepi tied the set again, this time at 21, with a kill. With the Knights up 24-22, Thompson had a kill and Jones and Mallon had a block to make it 24-all. UCF once again had a chance at set-point with a kill, but UC came on strong. Thompson had another kill then served up an ace before Kostelac sent the match to a fifth and final set on a kill.
Set 5: UCF, 15-6
Despite a strong finish in set four, the Bearcats could not overcome the Knights in set five. UCF gave UC the first point on an attack error and Thompson had a kill to give the Bearcats two leads at the onset. UC found itself down 5-2 and called a timeout. Out of the break, Thompson added in two more kill to put the deficit at 6-4. Unfortunately, two 3-0 runs by the Knights had them up 9-4 and 12-5. Another 3-0 run gave the set and the match to UCF.
// NEXT MATCH
UC travels next weekend as the second part of conference play begins. The Bearcats travel to take on Memphis on Friday and Tulane 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).
The Knights improve to 18-3, 9-0 with the win while the Bearcats drop to 18-4, 8-1. The match is the final one to be played at St. Ursula Academy as the home site for UC. The next home game will be held in the newly renovated Fifth Third Arena on campus on Friday, November 2 at 7 p.m.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson led all in the match with 27 kills and also had ten digs, two aces and two assists
• Erica Kostelac and Maria Mallon both finished with 11 kills
• Jade Tingelhoff had 37 assists with 14 digs
• Abby Williams led the team with 21 digs
• Carly Nolan had a nice all-around day with 19 digs, two aces and six blocks
• Dasha Cabarkapa totaled a team-high eight blocks
// COACH ALVEY'S COMMENT
"Two great teams going at it today. We fought well at times. I believe we did a great job fighting back in set four to take the match to five sets. It's now time for us to regroup and put a plan together to get better this week."
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC, 25-23
The Knights got out ahead 8-4 in the opening set, but the Bearcats worked their way back in it. UC put together a scoring spree where it earned seven points in an eight-point stretch to lead 13-11. Kostelac ignited a 3-0 run that concluded with an ace and kill from Thompson. After UCF scored once, UC then went 4-0 with three blocks, all by Cabarkapa with the help from Nolan and two and Kostelac on the other. The Bearcats put together another 4-0 run later on to lead 19-16. Thompson had a kill, Nolan an ace and UCF had two errors during the streak. The Knights were able to tie the set late at 21, 22 and 23, but the Bearcats won it on back-to-back kills by Nolan.
Set 2: UCF, 27-25
UC got out ahead 3-1 but UCF responded to lead 5-3 early on in set two. Neither team was able to grab much of an advantage until a 4-0 run on two Mallon kills and two Knights' errors gave the Bearcats a 15-11 lead. Not long after, UCF scored six in a row to get ahead by two, 19-17. It came down to a close finish. Thompson tied it at 23 then gave UC set-point with kills. Another Thompson kill put UC in front 25-24. But, two UCF kills and a block allowed the Knights to score the final three points to tie the match at one.
Set 3: UCF, 25-15
The Bearcats got off to another lead, this time 4-1, but could not hold the Knights off. A 7-0 run put UCF out ahead 8-4. Cabarkapa ended the streak with a kill, but the deficit could not be overcome. UC brought the lead to within two points, 12-10, after a Kostelac kill, Cabarkapa and Nolan block, and Thompson kill, but UCF responded with another big run, this one 6-0. The set ended on a service error.
Set 4: UC, 27-25
UC battled in the fourth, fighting until the end to take the match to five sets. Down 7-4, UC scored three-straight on kills by Jasmine Jones and Kostelac. The Knights got out ahead 13-9, but a kill by Cabarkapa and UCF error made it a two-point set. Back-to-back kills by Kostelac and Mallon off assists from Tingelhoff tied the set at 17. Georgia Tselepi tied the set again, this time at 21, with a kill. With the Knights up 24-22, Thompson had a kill and Jones and Mallon had a block to make it 24-all. UCF once again had a chance at set-point with a kill, but UC came on strong. Thompson had another kill then served up an ace before Kostelac sent the match to a fifth and final set on a kill.
Set 5: UCF, 15-6
Despite a strong finish in set four, the Bearcats could not overcome the Knights in set five. UCF gave UC the first point on an attack error and Thompson had a kill to give the Bearcats two leads at the onset. UC found itself down 5-2 and called a timeout. Out of the break, Thompson added in two more kill to put the deficit at 6-4. Unfortunately, two 3-0 runs by the Knights had them up 9-4 and 12-5. Another 3-0 run gave the set and the match to UCF.
// NEXT MATCH
UC travels next weekend as the second part of conference play begins. The Bearcats travel to take on Memphis on Friday and Tulane 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).