TicketsHOUSTON – University of Cincinnati volleyball took back the American Athletic Conference lead on Sunday afternoon by taking down Houston in five-sets.
The Bearcats handed the Cougars their first AAC lost of the season. Both teams now sit at 7-1. UC ended the fifth set on a 6-0 run.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson totaled 37 kills with nine digs and three blocks
• Maria Mallon had a career-high 24 kills on .312 hitting and had 13 digs for a double-double
• Armania Heckenmueller had 64 assists on the day with 12 digs
• Mackenzie Conner had a match-high 24 digs
• Karoline Fauske also reached double-digits in digs with 14 and also added in six kills
• Adria Oliver ended the match with eight kills and two blocks
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: HOU 25-23
The opening set was close from the first serve to the final point. Thompson opened the match with a kill and Houston answered with one of their own. The Bearcats got ahead 5-3 on a Mallon ace and another Thompson kill. An attack error by the Cougars allowed that lead to grow to three, 9-6 and then to 10-7 on an Oliver kill. Houston was able to work back and tie the set at 12 on two blocks and a UC error. The lead swung to a four-point lead for the Cougars after some other UC errors and a Cougars kill. However, two Thompson kills and a block by Thompson and Damjana Cabarkapa tied the set once again, this time at 16. It was back-and-forth down the stretch with ties at 21, 22 and 23. Houston got the opening set victory on a back-to-back blocks.
Set 2: UC 25-21
Thompson started the second with a kill and the Bearcats led nearly the whole way. The early lead grew to 6-2 on three Thompson kills, a Oliver kill and a Fauske ace. Conner served an ace to put the score at 10-5 later on. UC was the first to 15 on a Houston error. The lead increased to six, 19-13, when Mallon earned a kill. Another kill by Mallon made it 20-13. She followed with two more to put set at 22-14. Houston went on a late run to bring the set within two, 23-21, but a Fauske kill and Thompson kill tied the match at one.
Set 3: UC 25-19
UC controlled the third set starting with a 5-0 run to lead 9-4. Oliver started it with a kill, Thompson followed with an ace, Oliver and Mallon had back-to-back kills and an attack error by the Cougars finished out the run. Mallon added in two more kills to force a Houston timeout. Later on, Thompson added in three kills to push the lead to 17-8. Mallon continued to find success, with two more kills to make it a 20-12 set. Thompson made it set-point and then a 2-1 match lead with kills.
Set 4: HOU 25-18
The Bearcats lost some momentum in the fourth set, allowing the Cougars to work back and send the match to the fifth set. The set started with a UC attack error and Houston block. The Bearcats bench called a timeout when they were down 7-3. Thompson kept the deficit at five, 12-7, with a kill. Houston was the first to twenty with an attack error but Fauske found a kill to make it 20-16. The Cougars stayed alive when they won it on another Bearcats attack error.
Set 5: UC 15-9
UC's offensive power came on strong to win the match as the team hit .444 including a perfect five kills on five attempts by Mallon. Thompson had six kills in the fifth set alone. Thompson started it with an attack error but then corrected herself with a kill on the next play. Down 5-3, the Bearcats fought back. It became tied at five on a Mallon kill then she made it three in a row for a two-point advantage. Mallon gave UC an 8-7 lead on another kill. Thompson then took over, breaking a 9-9 tie and starting a 6-0 run to close out the match. Another Thompson kill and a Houston error made it 12-9 and the Cougars tied a timeout. Kerstin Ficker came out and served an ace before Thompson and Fauske had kills to secure the victory.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats return home for their next five matches, starting with Memphis on Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
The Bearcats handed the Cougars their first AAC lost of the season. Both teams now sit at 7-1. UC ended the fifth set on a 6-0 run.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson totaled 37 kills with nine digs and three blocks
• Maria Mallon had a career-high 24 kills on .312 hitting and had 13 digs for a double-double
• Armania Heckenmueller had 64 assists on the day with 12 digs
• Mackenzie Conner had a match-high 24 digs
• Karoline Fauske also reached double-digits in digs with 14 and also added in six kills
• Adria Oliver ended the match with eight kills and two blocks
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: HOU 25-23
The opening set was close from the first serve to the final point. Thompson opened the match with a kill and Houston answered with one of their own. The Bearcats got ahead 5-3 on a Mallon ace and another Thompson kill. An attack error by the Cougars allowed that lead to grow to three, 9-6 and then to 10-7 on an Oliver kill. Houston was able to work back and tie the set at 12 on two blocks and a UC error. The lead swung to a four-point lead for the Cougars after some other UC errors and a Cougars kill. However, two Thompson kills and a block by Thompson and Damjana Cabarkapa tied the set once again, this time at 16. It was back-and-forth down the stretch with ties at 21, 22 and 23. Houston got the opening set victory on a back-to-back blocks.
Set 2: UC 25-21
Thompson started the second with a kill and the Bearcats led nearly the whole way. The early lead grew to 6-2 on three Thompson kills, a Oliver kill and a Fauske ace. Conner served an ace to put the score at 10-5 later on. UC was the first to 15 on a Houston error. The lead increased to six, 19-13, when Mallon earned a kill. Another kill by Mallon made it 20-13. She followed with two more to put set at 22-14. Houston went on a late run to bring the set within two, 23-21, but a Fauske kill and Thompson kill tied the match at one.
Set 3: UC 25-19
UC controlled the third set starting with a 5-0 run to lead 9-4. Oliver started it with a kill, Thompson followed with an ace, Oliver and Mallon had back-to-back kills and an attack error by the Cougars finished out the run. Mallon added in two more kills to force a Houston timeout. Later on, Thompson added in three kills to push the lead to 17-8. Mallon continued to find success, with two more kills to make it a 20-12 set. Thompson made it set-point and then a 2-1 match lead with kills.
Set 4: HOU 25-18
The Bearcats lost some momentum in the fourth set, allowing the Cougars to work back and send the match to the fifth set. The set started with a UC attack error and Houston block. The Bearcats bench called a timeout when they were down 7-3. Thompson kept the deficit at five, 12-7, with a kill. Houston was the first to twenty with an attack error but Fauske found a kill to make it 20-16. The Cougars stayed alive when they won it on another Bearcats attack error.
Set 5: UC 15-9
UC's offensive power came on strong to win the match as the team hit .444 including a perfect five kills on five attempts by Mallon. Thompson had six kills in the fifth set alone. Thompson started it with an attack error but then corrected herself with a kill on the next play. Down 5-3, the Bearcats fought back. It became tied at five on a Mallon kill then she made it three in a row for a two-point advantage. Mallon gave UC an 8-7 lead on another kill. Thompson then took over, breaking a 9-9 tie and starting a 6-0 run to close out the match. Another Thompson kill and a Houston error made it 12-9 and the Cougars tied a timeout. Kerstin Ficker came out and served an ace before Thompson and Fauske had kills to secure the victory.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats return home for their next five matches, starting with Memphis on Friday, October 25 at 7 p.m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.