Powerful Offense Leads Bearcats to Sweep in Home-Opener

   

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Powerful Offense Leads Bearcats to Sweep in Home-OpenerPowerful Offense Leads Bearcats to Sweep in Home-Opener
CINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati volleyball put together a dominant performance in the Fifth Third Arena home-opener Saturday afternoon, sweeping Bowling Green.
 
Since returning to the newly renovated Fifth Third arena at the end of last season, UC has a 6-0 match record and 18-2 set record on home court, which includes five match sweeps.
 
 
// NOTES
• The team had a .423 attack percentage in the match, the highest this season. The Bearcats started off with a .680 attack percentage in set one
• Jordan Thompson ended the day with 21 kills while hitting .455 and added in ten digs to complete a double-double. She also had three aces
• Maria Mallon also had a double-double with ten kills and a team-high 16 digs
• Armania Heckenmueller totaled 42 assists and three blocks
• Mackenzie Conner was second on the team in digs with 14
• Adria Oliver tied the team-high with three blocks
 
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-16
A kill by Damjana Cabarkapa got the match started and two attacking errors by Bowling Green followed to put UC out to a 3-0 lead. The lead continued to grow as Cabarkapa added in another kill and Mallon had her first of the day to go up 5-1. The Falcons were never able to get much closer. Karoline Fauske and Cabarkapa had back-to-back kills to put the UC lead at 15-9. A Jordan Thompson ace brought the Bearcats to 20, leading by eight. A Thompson kill and Mallon ace made it set point before Fauske closed out the set with another kill.
 
Set 2: UC 25-19
The Bearcats hot offense continued with a twenty-kill second set. Mallon started things off and Thompson added in three early kills. Tied at 12, Thompson and Fauske fired in kills and Cabarkapa served up an ace to give the Bearcats a three-point lead. The Falcons worked back to tie the set at 16, but UC quickly pulled away once again. Thompson had a kill and an ace and Mallon and Heckenmueller both had kills to complete a 4-0 scoring run. Mallon added in two more kills, bringing her set total to seven, and Fauske once again ended the set on a kill.
 
Set 3: UC 25-16
BGSU got out to a 4-0 start in the third, but the UC offense continued to click and came back to win the set for the match sweep. Thompson had nine kills in the final set on 15 attempts. Fauske scored the Bearcats' first point on a kill and Mallon followed with an ace to close the gap. Two Oliver kills had UC trailing 7-5. Trailing 13-12, a Cabarkapa ace began the momentum change. Thompson tie the set at 14 on a kill and Heckenmueller and Oliver teamed up for a block and the lead. Thompson added to the advantage with back-to-back kills before Heckenmueller and Oliver blocked another Falcons' attempt. Three more Thompson kills supported the UC surge and brought the match to an end.
 
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats take on No. 25 Louisville at Fifth Third Arena on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match. The first 200 students receive free Penn Station subs at the Fans First Center. UC volleyball alumnae will be recognized during the match as part of the team's annual Alumnae Day event.
 
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS 
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