TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati volleyball staged a late comeback in the third set to complete the sweep of SMU Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Arena.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson had 28 kills on .471 hitting and added in eight digs, two blocks and a team-high two aces
• Armania Heckenmueller was solid with 41 assists and a team-high ten digs
• Adria Oliver had three blocks and seven kills on the day
• Karoline Fauske also had seven kills on a .429 attack percentage
• Maria Mallon was second on the team with nine kills. She also had eight digs
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-21
UC got the scoring started on a Fauske kill. An early 4-0 run from Thompson and Oliver kills and two Mustangs error put the Bearcats ahead 7-3. A later run that came via another error, Damjana Cabarkapa and Fauske block and a Fauske kill sent the set into a timeout with UC leading 13-7. Runs kept the Bearcats up in the first. Another 4-0 streak from two Thompson kills and Mustangs error and a Mallon kill made it 17-10. SMU put together some runs of its own late in the set, but Oliver made it set point with a kill and Thompson closed it out with a kill.
Set 2: UC 26-24
Fauske once again got the set started with a kill. The Bearcats doubled the Mustangs' score 8-4 on back-to-back kills by Mallon. Thompson put together a 3-0 run on a kill and two aces before a SMU error grew the UC advantage to 16-11. The Mustangs made it close at the end. A Thompson kill had the Bearcats up 23-21, but the Mustangs scored the next two points on two UC errors to tie the set at 23. After a SMU error, the Mustangs tied it once again at 24 with a kill. However, the Bearcats pulled out the win, scoring the final two points of the set on a Thompson kill and a SMU attack error.
Set 3: UC 25-23
SMU led nearly the entire way in the final set until UC was able to work back to complete the match sweep. The Mustangs scored first on a kill then added another point on a block. SMU's lead grew to three, 12-9, but Fauske lessened the advantage with a kill and an ace. A block by the Mustangs gave them the biggest lead of the set at 16-12. But, Thompson had a kill and Mackenzie Conner an ace to bring the lead back to within two. Once SMU hit the 20-point mark, UC started the comeback. An error tied the set at 20, but the Mustangs earned the next two points on kills. Out of a timeout, Thompson had three kills and SMU an error to put the Bearcats up 24-22. The Mustangs were able to muster one more point on a kill, but Thompson once again came up big with a kill to end it.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats remain home to host regional-foe Dayton on Wednesday, October 30 at 7 p.m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson had 28 kills on .471 hitting and added in eight digs, two blocks and a team-high two aces
• Armania Heckenmueller was solid with 41 assists and a team-high ten digs
• Adria Oliver had three blocks and seven kills on the day
• Karoline Fauske also had seven kills on a .429 attack percentage
• Maria Mallon was second on the team with nine kills. She also had eight digs
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-21
UC got the scoring started on a Fauske kill. An early 4-0 run from Thompson and Oliver kills and two Mustangs error put the Bearcats ahead 7-3. A later run that came via another error, Damjana Cabarkapa and Fauske block and a Fauske kill sent the set into a timeout with UC leading 13-7. Runs kept the Bearcats up in the first. Another 4-0 streak from two Thompson kills and Mustangs error and a Mallon kill made it 17-10. SMU put together some runs of its own late in the set, but Oliver made it set point with a kill and Thompson closed it out with a kill.
Set 2: UC 26-24
Fauske once again got the set started with a kill. The Bearcats doubled the Mustangs' score 8-4 on back-to-back kills by Mallon. Thompson put together a 3-0 run on a kill and two aces before a SMU error grew the UC advantage to 16-11. The Mustangs made it close at the end. A Thompson kill had the Bearcats up 23-21, but the Mustangs scored the next two points on two UC errors to tie the set at 23. After a SMU error, the Mustangs tied it once again at 24 with a kill. However, the Bearcats pulled out the win, scoring the final two points of the set on a Thompson kill and a SMU attack error.
Set 3: UC 25-23
SMU led nearly the entire way in the final set until UC was able to work back to complete the match sweep. The Mustangs scored first on a kill then added another point on a block. SMU's lead grew to three, 12-9, but Fauske lessened the advantage with a kill and an ace. A block by the Mustangs gave them the biggest lead of the set at 16-12. But, Thompson had a kill and Mackenzie Conner an ace to bring the lead back to within two. Once SMU hit the 20-point mark, UC started the comeback. An error tied the set at 20, but the Mustangs earned the next two points on kills. Out of a timeout, Thompson had three kills and SMU an error to put the Bearcats up 24-22. The Mustangs were able to muster one more point on a kill, but Thompson once again came up big with a kill to end it.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats remain home to host regional-foe Dayton on Wednesday, October 30 at 7 p.m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.