TicketsHIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.. – University of Cincinnati volleyball beat Notre Dame Friday afternoon in four sets to start off the NKU Invitational.
The team totaled a season-high 64 digs in the match compared to 49 by Notre Dame. The Bearcats also had seven blocks, the second-most in a match this season.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson led with 18 kills and added in seven digs and three blocks
• Maria Mallon was close behind with 16 kills and completed the double-double with 17 digs. She also had three aces
• Armania Heckenmueller paced the team with 44 assists and had 12 digs
• Mackenzie Conner led with 18 digs
• Damjana Cabarkapa had a strong match, finishing with six kills on .600 hitting and a team-high six blocks
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-19
The start of the match went back-and-forth until UC got in front 5-4 on an Adria Oliver kill. The lead grew to six, 15-9, when Cabarkapa and Thompson teamed up for a block and Madison Waters followed with a kill. Mallon had back-to-back kill to push the score to twenty. A Cabarkapa kill made it set-point before Thompson ended it with a kill.
Set 2: ND 25-18
Notre Dame answered in set two to tie the match. Despite the Bearcats leading 6-4 after a Thompson kill, consecutive Fighting Irish blocks gave Notre Dame a two-point lead. UC stayed in it, tying the set at 11 on an error and then again at 13 on a Mallon ace. From there, Notre Dame was able to get the lead back for the rest of the set. The Fighting Irish would win it on two kills and a UC error
Set 3: UC 25-20
Thompson had three quick kills to get UC out to a 4-1 advantage in set three. Knotted at 10-10, Oliver and Thompson blocked a Notre Dame attempt and Heckenmueller dropped in a kill to go ahead by two. Two errors by the Fighting Irish increased the Bearcats lead to four. UC remained ahead the remainder of the way, eventually taking the match lead on another Thompson kill
Set 4: UC 25-20
The Bearcats came on strong in the fourth to go on and take the set and the match win. The first five points of the set came via a Mallon kill, Karoline Fauske kill, two Fauske and Cabarkapa blocks and a Mallon ace. The UC lead grew to 10-4 before Notre Dame began to creep back in. The Irish were able to bring the set to a tie at 18 and 19, but the Bearcats were not giving in. Cabarkapa broke the latter tie with a kill and Thompson had four straight kills to bring the set to match point. Fauske won the for the Bearcats with a kill of her own.
// UP NEXT
Action in the NKU Invitational continues tomorrow with a 10 a.m. match against Ball State and a 7:30 p.m. contest versus host NKU.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
The team totaled a season-high 64 digs in the match compared to 49 by Notre Dame. The Bearcats also had seven blocks, the second-most in a match this season.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson led with 18 kills and added in seven digs and three blocks
• Maria Mallon was close behind with 16 kills and completed the double-double with 17 digs. She also had three aces
• Armania Heckenmueller paced the team with 44 assists and had 12 digs
• Mackenzie Conner led with 18 digs
• Damjana Cabarkapa had a strong match, finishing with six kills on .600 hitting and a team-high six blocks
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-19
The start of the match went back-and-forth until UC got in front 5-4 on an Adria Oliver kill. The lead grew to six, 15-9, when Cabarkapa and Thompson teamed up for a block and Madison Waters followed with a kill. Mallon had back-to-back kill to push the score to twenty. A Cabarkapa kill made it set-point before Thompson ended it with a kill.
Set 2: ND 25-18
Notre Dame answered in set two to tie the match. Despite the Bearcats leading 6-4 after a Thompson kill, consecutive Fighting Irish blocks gave Notre Dame a two-point lead. UC stayed in it, tying the set at 11 on an error and then again at 13 on a Mallon ace. From there, Notre Dame was able to get the lead back for the rest of the set. The Fighting Irish would win it on two kills and a UC error
Set 3: UC 25-20
Thompson had three quick kills to get UC out to a 4-1 advantage in set three. Knotted at 10-10, Oliver and Thompson blocked a Notre Dame attempt and Heckenmueller dropped in a kill to go ahead by two. Two errors by the Fighting Irish increased the Bearcats lead to four. UC remained ahead the remainder of the way, eventually taking the match lead on another Thompson kill
Set 4: UC 25-20
The Bearcats came on strong in the fourth to go on and take the set and the match win. The first five points of the set came via a Mallon kill, Karoline Fauske kill, two Fauske and Cabarkapa blocks and a Mallon ace. The UC lead grew to 10-4 before Notre Dame began to creep back in. The Irish were able to bring the set to a tie at 18 and 19, but the Bearcats were not giving in. Cabarkapa broke the latter tie with a kill and Thompson had four straight kills to bring the set to match point. Fauske won the for the Bearcats with a kill of her own.
// UP NEXT
Action in the NKU Invitational continues tomorrow with a 10 a.m. match against Ball State and a 7:30 p.m. contest versus host NKU.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.