TicketsThe 2019 season continues for University of Cincinnati volleyball this weekend at the Auto-Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Michigan. UC will start by playing No. 21 Tennessee on Friday at 10:15 followed by the host Michigan State Spartans at 7:30 p.m. that evening. The event will conclude on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. with a match against Indiana State.
// GOING LIVE
• All three matches will be streamed live on the BIG TEN Network Plus
• Live stats for every match will be available at MSUSpartans.com
// OPPONENT OVERVIEW
• Tennessee enters the week ranked No. 21 in the nation in the AVCA Coaches Poll
• The Vols opened up with a home-and-home with No. 6 Illinois, losing both matches in five sets
• Last season, Tennessee finished 26-6 and 16-2 in the SEC
• The Vols defeated Colorado State 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing 3-1 to No. 19 Washington State in the second round
• Michigan State is off to a 2-0 start this season with wins over Duke and College of Charleston at the College of Charleston Tournament
• In 2018 the Spartans broke into the top 25 before finishing 17-16 and 5-15 in the BIG TEN
• Last year the team ended the season ranked 25thin blocks per set with 2.64
• Indiana State is off to an 0-3 start, losing all of its matches at the Green Bay Invitational last weekend
• The Sycamores fell in four sets to Northeastern, were swept by Fresno State and lost in five to Green Bay
• The team went 10-20 in 2018 with a 3-15 conference record
// AWARD SEASON BEGINS
• The awards have already begun to come in for UC this season
• Jordan Thompson and Maria Mallon were both named to the Panther Challenge All-Tournament Team for helping the Bearcats to a 2-1 record against top competition
• Thompson was then named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, an award she received eight times last season as she led the nation in kill and points
// YOUTH MOVEMENT
• The Bearcats saw only one upper-classman play in last week's three season-opening matches, redshirt-senior Jordan Thompson
• Twelve of 13 players who have seen the court this year are sophomores or freshmen in eligibility
• Returning sophomores Maria Mallon, Damjana Cabarkapa and Armania Heckenmueller played big roles for the team, with Cabarkapa and Heckenmueller playing all ten sets and Mallon playing in all but two
• Transfer sophomore Adria Oliver impressed in her Bearcats debut, starting all three matches and playing in all ten sets
• Freshman Kerstin Ficker, Karoline Fauske, Maria Tobergte and Shannon Williams all appeared in seven or more sets for UC
• Transfers Mackenzie Conner (sophomore) and Dimitra Tziarli (freshman) both saw time on the court
• Madison Waters and Sheilah Purcell also made their collegiate playing debuts
// PANTHER CHALLENGE RECAP
• UC started the season 2-1 at the Panther Challenge in Pittsburgh last weekend
• The Bearcats opened their 2019 campaign with a 3-1 win over South Carolina. Both teams had recieved votes in the preseason AVCA coaches poll
• Following Friday morning's win, UC lost a tough match against No. 12 Pitt, 3-0
• The Bearcats bounced back to end the weekend with a sweep of Cleveland State on Saturday
• Thompson's 4.70 kills per set with a .286 hitting percentage to go along with 3.20 digs per set, seven service aces and seven blocks landed her a spot on the all-tournament team
• Mallon also was named to the all-tournament team as she posted 3.88 kills per set while hitting .260 and added in 2.12 digs per set
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
// GOING LIVE
• All three matches will be streamed live on the BIG TEN Network Plus
• Live stats for every match will be available at MSUSpartans.com
// OPPONENT OVERVIEW
• Tennessee enters the week ranked No. 21 in the nation in the AVCA Coaches Poll
• The Vols opened up with a home-and-home with No. 6 Illinois, losing both matches in five sets
• Last season, Tennessee finished 26-6 and 16-2 in the SEC
• The Vols defeated Colorado State 3-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing 3-1 to No. 19 Washington State in the second round
• Michigan State is off to a 2-0 start this season with wins over Duke and College of Charleston at the College of Charleston Tournament
• In 2018 the Spartans broke into the top 25 before finishing 17-16 and 5-15 in the BIG TEN
• Last year the team ended the season ranked 25thin blocks per set with 2.64
• Indiana State is off to an 0-3 start, losing all of its matches at the Green Bay Invitational last weekend
• The Sycamores fell in four sets to Northeastern, were swept by Fresno State and lost in five to Green Bay
• The team went 10-20 in 2018 with a 3-15 conference record
// AWARD SEASON BEGINS
• The awards have already begun to come in for UC this season
• Jordan Thompson and Maria Mallon were both named to the Panther Challenge All-Tournament Team for helping the Bearcats to a 2-1 record against top competition
• Thompson was then named the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, an award she received eight times last season as she led the nation in kill and points
// YOUTH MOVEMENT
• The Bearcats saw only one upper-classman play in last week's three season-opening matches, redshirt-senior Jordan Thompson
• Twelve of 13 players who have seen the court this year are sophomores or freshmen in eligibility
• Returning sophomores Maria Mallon, Damjana Cabarkapa and Armania Heckenmueller played big roles for the team, with Cabarkapa and Heckenmueller playing all ten sets and Mallon playing in all but two
• Transfer sophomore Adria Oliver impressed in her Bearcats debut, starting all three matches and playing in all ten sets
• Freshman Kerstin Ficker, Karoline Fauske, Maria Tobergte and Shannon Williams all appeared in seven or more sets for UC
• Transfers Mackenzie Conner (sophomore) and Dimitra Tziarli (freshman) both saw time on the court
• Madison Waters and Sheilah Purcell also made their collegiate playing debuts
// PANTHER CHALLENGE RECAP
• UC started the season 2-1 at the Panther Challenge in Pittsburgh last weekend
• The Bearcats opened their 2019 campaign with a 3-1 win over South Carolina. Both teams had recieved votes in the preseason AVCA coaches poll
• Following Friday morning's win, UC lost a tough match against No. 12 Pitt, 3-0
• The Bearcats bounced back to end the weekend with a sweep of Cleveland State on Saturday
• Thompson's 4.70 kills per set with a .286 hitting percentage to go along with 3.20 digs per set, seven service aces and seven blocks landed her a spot on the all-tournament team
• Mallon also was named to the all-tournament team as she posted 3.88 kills per set while hitting .260 and added in 2.12 digs per set
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.