TicketsUniversity of Cincinnati volleyball returns home this week to host the first two matches of a five-match homestand. The Bearcats take on Memphis at 7 p.m. on Friday and SMU at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Both matches are in Fifth Third Arena with complimentary admission.
// PROMOTIONS
• Fans are asked to wear pink on Friday for the team's annual breast cancer awareness event
• The first 200 fans through the door will receive pink t-shirts courtesy of UC Health and pink pom poms will also be handed out
• UC students attending the match can receive a voucher for a hot dog and a beverage by checking in at the Fans First Center
• On Sunday, the team will be signing autographs post-match on the court. Posters will be provided
// GOING LIVE
• BearcatsTV will provide a free web stream on Friday and Sunday
• Both matches will have live stats available at GoBearcats.com
// OPPONENT OVERVIEW
• UC is 33-21 all-time against Memphis
• The Tigers are 13-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play with wins coming last weekend against UConn and Temple
• Their first three AAC matches (at Tulane, at Houston, versus Wichita State) all went to five sets
• Memphis had a historic start to the season with 11-straight victories
• Last season the Bearcats won 3-1 at Memphis and 3-0 at home
• UC swept both matches in 2017 and won both in 2016
• The Tigers last won the matchup in 2015, taking a 3-2 victory on the road and a 3-1 win at home
• UC is 2-9 all-time against SMU
• The Mustangs are second in the AAC West behind Houston with a 6-2 conference record while they are 13-5 overall
• SMU's two conference losses came at the start of AAC play at Houston and at Tulane
• The Mustangs then when on to win their last six, beating Tulsa, Wichita State, Memphis, USF, Temple and UConn
• UC swept SMU at home early on last season
• In 2017, the Bearcats dropped both matches against the Mustangs, falling 3-2 in a thrilling match at home then 3-1 on the road
• The previous season, the teams split with UC losing in five at SMU before coming back with a 3-0 sweep on home court
// HOME SWEET HOME
• Fifth Third Arena has become a lethal environment for any competition coming in to face the Bearcats
• Dating back to 2016, UC is 14-2 in its last 16 matches played in the arena with 12 match sweeps
• In those 16 matches, the Bearcats have lost just nine sets while winning 45
// NATIONAL RANKINGS
• UC's high-powered offense has proven to be one of the best in the nation this season
• The Bearcats lead the nation in assists per set and kills per set and rank sixth in aces per set and ninth in hitting percentage
• Individually, Jordan Thompson continues to lead the country in kills, kills per set, points and points per set
• Armania Heckenmueller ranks second in assists per set
• Maria Mallon is 37th in the nation in aces per set
// CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
• Overall, UC, Houston and UCF are all tied for first in the conference with 7-1 records, but the Bearcats hold the head-to-head advantage with both teams
• Those two teams will face each other on Friday
• The Bearcats lead the conference in hitting percentage, assists, kills and aces
• Outside of national-leader Thompson, numerous Bearcats rank in the top ten in the AAC
• Adria Oliver is fourth in hitting percentage
• Mallon ranks fourth in kills per set and second in aces per set
• Kerstin Ficker breaks into the top-ten with the tenth most aces per set
• New for the 2019 season, the AAC will host a volleyball postseason tournament
• This year it will take place at UCF November 22-24
• The top six teams make the AAC tournament with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Touranament
• The 2019 NCAA Selection Show is slated for Sunday, December 1
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
// PROMOTIONS
• Fans are asked to wear pink on Friday for the team's annual breast cancer awareness event
• The first 200 fans through the door will receive pink t-shirts courtesy of UC Health and pink pom poms will also be handed out
• UC students attending the match can receive a voucher for a hot dog and a beverage by checking in at the Fans First Center
• On Sunday, the team will be signing autographs post-match on the court. Posters will be provided
// GOING LIVE
• BearcatsTV will provide a free web stream on Friday and Sunday
• Both matches will have live stats available at GoBearcats.com
// OPPONENT OVERVIEW
• UC is 33-21 all-time against Memphis
• The Tigers are 13-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play with wins coming last weekend against UConn and Temple
• Their first three AAC matches (at Tulane, at Houston, versus Wichita State) all went to five sets
• Memphis had a historic start to the season with 11-straight victories
• Last season the Bearcats won 3-1 at Memphis and 3-0 at home
• UC swept both matches in 2017 and won both in 2016
• The Tigers last won the matchup in 2015, taking a 3-2 victory on the road and a 3-1 win at home
• UC is 2-9 all-time against SMU
• The Mustangs are second in the AAC West behind Houston with a 6-2 conference record while they are 13-5 overall
• SMU's two conference losses came at the start of AAC play at Houston and at Tulane
• The Mustangs then when on to win their last six, beating Tulsa, Wichita State, Memphis, USF, Temple and UConn
• UC swept SMU at home early on last season
• In 2017, the Bearcats dropped both matches against the Mustangs, falling 3-2 in a thrilling match at home then 3-1 on the road
• The previous season, the teams split with UC losing in five at SMU before coming back with a 3-0 sweep on home court
// HOME SWEET HOME
• Fifth Third Arena has become a lethal environment for any competition coming in to face the Bearcats
• Dating back to 2016, UC is 14-2 in its last 16 matches played in the arena with 12 match sweeps
• In those 16 matches, the Bearcats have lost just nine sets while winning 45
// NATIONAL RANKINGS
• UC's high-powered offense has proven to be one of the best in the nation this season
• The Bearcats lead the nation in assists per set and kills per set and rank sixth in aces per set and ninth in hitting percentage
• Individually, Jordan Thompson continues to lead the country in kills, kills per set, points and points per set
• Armania Heckenmueller ranks second in assists per set
• Maria Mallon is 37th in the nation in aces per set
// CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN
• Overall, UC, Houston and UCF are all tied for first in the conference with 7-1 records, but the Bearcats hold the head-to-head advantage with both teams
• Those two teams will face each other on Friday
• The Bearcats lead the conference in hitting percentage, assists, kills and aces
• Outside of national-leader Thompson, numerous Bearcats rank in the top ten in the AAC
• Adria Oliver is fourth in hitting percentage
• Mallon ranks fourth in kills per set and second in aces per set
• Kerstin Ficker breaks into the top-ten with the tenth most aces per set
• New for the 2019 season, the AAC will host a volleyball postseason tournament
• This year it will take place at UCF November 22-24
• The top six teams make the AAC tournament with the winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Touranament
• The 2019 NCAA Selection Show is slated for Sunday, December 1
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.