TicketsCINCINNATI – University of Cincinnati secured the lone top spot in the American Athletic Conference with a 3-1 victory at UCF on Sunday.
UC is now 13-1 in conference play while UCF drops to 12-2. Two regular season matches remain before the 2019 AAC Tournament hosted by the Knights November 22-24.
// NOTES
• Maria Mallon was three kills shy of her personal record. She finished with 21 on .308 hitting and added in12 digs
• Jordan Thompson had 19 kills with 14 digs and four aces
• Armania Heckenmueller led with 56 assists and nine digs
• Mackenzie Conner had a team-high 18 digs and also helped with seven assists
• Adria Oliver reached double-digits in kills with 11 on .529 hitting and two blocks
• Karoline Fauske also reached the ten-kill mark on .368 hitting and added in 12 digs for the Bearcats
• Damjana Cabarkapa hit .556 with five kills and two blocks
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-22
Three early UCF errors helped UC get off to a 3-1 start in the opening set and the Bearcats did not look back from there. UC was able to score consecutive points time after time while UCF could only answer with one. That put the Bearcats ahead 13-8 after a Fauske ace and 15-10 after an ace by Thompson. The Knights were able to tie the set at 16, 17 and 18, but Cabarkapa and Thompson got UC to 20 points on back-to-back kills. Mallon and Dimitra Tziarli had kills shortly after to bring it to set point. Mallon ended it on her seventh kill of the set.
Set 2: UCF 25-23
UC once again was first to score and led 7-6 after a 3-0 run from a UCF error, Mallon kill and Oliver kill. Another 3-0 run kept the set close as a Cabarkapa kill and two by Thompson made it 12-11. The set continued to be close. The Knights were able to take a 18-17 lead off a block to cause the Bearcats to call a timeout. Down 20-18, UC tied the set back up on a Fauske kill and Thompson-Cabarkapa block. UCF scored the next two points to lead 22-20 and the scoring went back-and-forth until the conclusion. Thompson's three late kills kept the Bearcats in it, but the Knights won a block and kill of their own.
Set 3: UC 25-14
The Bearcats came out strong in the third set, getting out to an 8-2 lead after seven early kills. UC led by eight, 14-6 after an Oliver kill and UCF error. Two more mistakes by the Knights forced them into a timeout as the Bearcats' advantage grew to 17-9. Four of the final five points of the set were scored by UC, via an Oliver kill, Thompson kill, Thompson ace and Mallon kill.
Set 4: UC 25-21
UC got off to another fast start and held off UCF to win the match in four. A Thompson ace, three Mallon kills, a Thompson kill and Fauske kill sent the set into an early timeout as the Bearcats led 8-2. Four consecutive points via a UCF error, Thompson kill, Cabarkapa and Fauske block and a Fauske kill put the score at 13-5. Conner served up an ace to give the Bearcats a ten-point lead at 19-9. Late runs by the Knights made it a one-point set at 22-21. However, the Bearcats went on a 3-0 run thanks to kills by Fauske, Mallon and Thompson to secure the victory.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats finish the regular season with a trip to ECU on Friday, November 15 then at home against Tulsa on Sunday, November 17 at 1 p.m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
UC is now 13-1 in conference play while UCF drops to 12-2. Two regular season matches remain before the 2019 AAC Tournament hosted by the Knights November 22-24.
// NOTES
• Maria Mallon was three kills shy of her personal record. She finished with 21 on .308 hitting and added in12 digs
• Jordan Thompson had 19 kills with 14 digs and four aces
• Armania Heckenmueller led with 56 assists and nine digs
• Mackenzie Conner had a team-high 18 digs and also helped with seven assists
• Adria Oliver reached double-digits in kills with 11 on .529 hitting and two blocks
• Karoline Fauske also reached the ten-kill mark on .368 hitting and added in 12 digs for the Bearcats
• Damjana Cabarkapa hit .556 with five kills and two blocks
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-22
Three early UCF errors helped UC get off to a 3-1 start in the opening set and the Bearcats did not look back from there. UC was able to score consecutive points time after time while UCF could only answer with one. That put the Bearcats ahead 13-8 after a Fauske ace and 15-10 after an ace by Thompson. The Knights were able to tie the set at 16, 17 and 18, but Cabarkapa and Thompson got UC to 20 points on back-to-back kills. Mallon and Dimitra Tziarli had kills shortly after to bring it to set point. Mallon ended it on her seventh kill of the set.
Set 2: UCF 25-23
UC once again was first to score and led 7-6 after a 3-0 run from a UCF error, Mallon kill and Oliver kill. Another 3-0 run kept the set close as a Cabarkapa kill and two by Thompson made it 12-11. The set continued to be close. The Knights were able to take a 18-17 lead off a block to cause the Bearcats to call a timeout. Down 20-18, UC tied the set back up on a Fauske kill and Thompson-Cabarkapa block. UCF scored the next two points to lead 22-20 and the scoring went back-and-forth until the conclusion. Thompson's three late kills kept the Bearcats in it, but the Knights won a block and kill of their own.
Set 3: UC 25-14
The Bearcats came out strong in the third set, getting out to an 8-2 lead after seven early kills. UC led by eight, 14-6 after an Oliver kill and UCF error. Two more mistakes by the Knights forced them into a timeout as the Bearcats' advantage grew to 17-9. Four of the final five points of the set were scored by UC, via an Oliver kill, Thompson kill, Thompson ace and Mallon kill.
Set 4: UC 25-21
UC got off to another fast start and held off UCF to win the match in four. A Thompson ace, three Mallon kills, a Thompson kill and Fauske kill sent the set into an early timeout as the Bearcats led 8-2. Four consecutive points via a UCF error, Thompson kill, Cabarkapa and Fauske block and a Fauske kill put the score at 13-5. Conner served up an ace to give the Bearcats a ten-point lead at 19-9. Late runs by the Knights made it a one-point set at 22-21. However, the Bearcats went on a 3-0 run thanks to kills by Fauske, Mallon and Thompson to secure the victory.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats finish the regular season with a trip to ECU on Friday, November 15 then at home against Tulsa on Sunday, November 17 at 1 p.m.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.