CHAMPIONS! Volleyball Clinches AAC Regular Season Title

    

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CHAMPIONS! Volleyball Clinches AAC Regular Season TitleCHAMPIONS! Volleyball Clinches AAC Regular Season Title
GREENVILLE, N.C. – University of Cincinnati volleyball clinched the American Athletic Conference championship with a 3-0 sweep of ECU Friday night.
 
The Bearcats will have the No. 1 seed at next week's tournament and will host the 2020 AAC Tournament. The championship marks the first for the volleyball program since 2011.
 
// NOTES
Jordan Thompson led with 18 kills
Armania Heckenmueller had a huge night with 45 assists and a team-high 12 digs
Adria Oliver finished with 11 kills and hit .471
Maria Mallon added in nine kills and Karoline Fauske finished with eight kills and eight digs
Damjana Cabarkapa led the team with two blocks and had six kills on an even .500 hitting performance
 
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-21
A handful of runs helped the Bearcats get the win in the opening set. Down 7-4, the lead switched to 9-7 after two kills by Thompson, two by Oliver and an ace by Fauske. A 3-0 run shortly after made it 13-9 thanks to a Thompson kill and two by Mallon. Three ECU errors with an Oliver kill put together a 4-0 and advanced the UC lead to six, 19-13. After making it set-point on a Mallon kill, the Pirates were able to score the next four points before Thompson ended it with a kill.
 
Set 2: UC 25-15
A strong finish secured a 2-0 match lead for UC. The second set went back and forth until the Bearcats pulled away from the Pirates with a late 4-0 run to lead 18-13. Cabarkapa started the scoring spurt with a kill, Thompson followed with another, Kerstin Ficker served and ace and Thompson added in another kill. The Bearcats scored seven of the final eight points. Those came from a Thompson kill, Oliver kill, Thompson block, Thompson kill, Fauske ace, Heckenmueller and Oliver block and, finally, an ECU service error.
 
Set 3: UC 25-21
Mallon started the third with a kill and the Bearcats slowly began to get out ahead for the victory. Thompson put the team up 9-7 with a kill and Mallon made it 10-8 with another kill. Two straight kills by Cabarkapa pushed the lead to 19-15. Oliver was successful on another attack attempt and Thompson went back-to-back to make it match point. Oliver secured the victory with another kill.
 
// UP NEXT
The final match of the regular season is home at Fifth Third Arena this Sunday at 1 p.m. versus Tulsa. The American Athletic Conference Tournament begins November 22 in Orlando, Florida. The Bearcats will have a bye into the semifinals and play Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
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