TicketsPITTSBURGH – University of Cincinnati volleyball posted its biggest win in program history Saturday night as it took down No. 6 seed and No. 2 ranked Pitt in a competitive five sets.
UC advances to NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history after the historic Second Round victory. After losing the first set 26-24, UC tied the match at one with a 25-21 set two win. Pitt took set three 25-16 before UC once again tied it up after a 25-21 set four. Set five was won 15-13.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson led the way with 27 kills and had six digs
• Armania Heckenmueller finished with 58 assists and six digs
• Mackenzie Conner led the team with 15 digs
• Maria Mallon neared a double-double with 19 kills and nine digs
• Dimitra Tziarli had a big night with eight blocks
• Adria Oliver hit .462 with 14 kills
• Karoline Fasuke had 11 digs, six blocks and five kills
// POST MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: PITT 26-24
The Bearcats came out strong in the opening set but lost it right at the end. After a back-and-forth start, a Panthers error and two Thompson kills put UC ahead 9-8. Down 15-13, UC got a big surge from four-straight blocks, two of which were solos by Damjana Cabarkapa while Fauske and Thompson helped Cabarkapa with the other two. Out of a Pitt timeout, Thompson made it 18-15 UC with a kill. The Panthers scored the next two points from there and neither team was able to get much of a lead. Thompson put the Bearcats ahead 23-22 with a kill, but a kill and block by Pitt gave it a 24-23 advantage. An error kept the set alive before a block and UC error ended it.
Set 2: UC 25-21
UC put together a few runs and was able to hang on to tie the match at a set apiece. Early kills by Oliver and Fauske got the momentum going for the Bearcats. Down 8-7, Two Thompson kills, a Fauske ace and an Oliver kill made it an 11-8 UC advantage. Unfortunaately, Pitt answered with a 4-0 run of their own to get ahead 12-11. The next three points came from UC as Thompson had a kill, Pitt an error and Oliver a kill. Down 16-15, Mallon tie the game and another Panthers error put the Bearcats ahead by one. Shortly after tied at 17, an error, Thompson kill, Mallon ace and another Pitt error put UC up 21-17. Back-to-back Oliver kills pushed the lead to 24-20. Thompson closed out the set on a kill.
Set 3: PITT 25-16
A few big runs by the Panthers allowed them to retake the match lead. The Bearcats led 5-3 after an Oliver kill and block by Mallon and Tziarli. However, a 6-0 Pitt run put the home team in front. UC answered with three straight points via a Heckenmueller and Tziarli block, Mallon block and Mallon kill to trail just 9-8. The Bearcats and Panthers traded points as Fauske and Thompson kills and a Pitt error kept the set close. A 5-0 Pitt run increased the lead to 18-12 but was stopped with a Mallon kill. UC put together one last surge on another Mallon kill and two Pitt attack errors, but the Panthers scored the final six points of the set.
Set 4: UC 25-21
The Bearcats started strong in the fourth with a block by Fauske and Oliver and followed with kills by Oliver and Mallon and a Panthers error to lead 4-1. A 4-0 run made it 8-2 as Mallon had two more kills, Tziarli and Heckenmueller a block and Thompson a kill. The lead grew to six, 12-6, after a Thompson kill, Tziarli and Thompson block and Tziarli and Fauske block. Pitt worked back with a 5-0 run to trail 14-13. UC held on, as Mallon had a kill and back-to-back aces to put the lead at 21-17. A Pitt service error brought on set point. The Panthers scored two more points on a kill before Thompson sent the match to the fifth.
Set 5: UC 15-13
The fifth set was as up-and-down as could be. Pitt came out and scored the first four points, but UC stormed ahead with the next five from a Thompson kill, Pitt error, two more Thompson kills and an Oliver kill. The Panthers then answered with a 4-0 run to lead 8-5. The Bearcats snuck back, to make it an 11-9 set on a Mallon kill. Down 12-9, a 4-0 run put UC up 13-12. Thompson had a kill, Fauske and Tziarli a block, Thompson another kill and Pitt an error for the lead. The Panthers tied it on a kill, but another block, this time by Fauske and Tziarli, and a Mallon kill kept the Bearcats dancing.
// UP NEXT
UC will head to No. 3 Stanford to face No. 11 Penn State in Regional action Friday, December 13.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
UC advances to NCAA Regionals for the first time in program history after the historic Second Round victory. After losing the first set 26-24, UC tied the match at one with a 25-21 set two win. Pitt took set three 25-16 before UC once again tied it up after a 25-21 set four. Set five was won 15-13.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson led the way with 27 kills and had six digs
• Armania Heckenmueller finished with 58 assists and six digs
• Mackenzie Conner led the team with 15 digs
• Maria Mallon neared a double-double with 19 kills and nine digs
• Dimitra Tziarli had a big night with eight blocks
• Adria Oliver hit .462 with 14 kills
• Karoline Fasuke had 11 digs, six blocks and five kills
// POST MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: PITT 26-24
The Bearcats came out strong in the opening set but lost it right at the end. After a back-and-forth start, a Panthers error and two Thompson kills put UC ahead 9-8. Down 15-13, UC got a big surge from four-straight blocks, two of which were solos by Damjana Cabarkapa while Fauske and Thompson helped Cabarkapa with the other two. Out of a Pitt timeout, Thompson made it 18-15 UC with a kill. The Panthers scored the next two points from there and neither team was able to get much of a lead. Thompson put the Bearcats ahead 23-22 with a kill, but a kill and block by Pitt gave it a 24-23 advantage. An error kept the set alive before a block and UC error ended it.
Set 2: UC 25-21
UC put together a few runs and was able to hang on to tie the match at a set apiece. Early kills by Oliver and Fauske got the momentum going for the Bearcats. Down 8-7, Two Thompson kills, a Fauske ace and an Oliver kill made it an 11-8 UC advantage. Unfortunaately, Pitt answered with a 4-0 run of their own to get ahead 12-11. The next three points came from UC as Thompson had a kill, Pitt an error and Oliver a kill. Down 16-15, Mallon tie the game and another Panthers error put the Bearcats ahead by one. Shortly after tied at 17, an error, Thompson kill, Mallon ace and another Pitt error put UC up 21-17. Back-to-back Oliver kills pushed the lead to 24-20. Thompson closed out the set on a kill.
Set 3: PITT 25-16
A few big runs by the Panthers allowed them to retake the match lead. The Bearcats led 5-3 after an Oliver kill and block by Mallon and Tziarli. However, a 6-0 Pitt run put the home team in front. UC answered with three straight points via a Heckenmueller and Tziarli block, Mallon block and Mallon kill to trail just 9-8. The Bearcats and Panthers traded points as Fauske and Thompson kills and a Pitt error kept the set close. A 5-0 Pitt run increased the lead to 18-12 but was stopped with a Mallon kill. UC put together one last surge on another Mallon kill and two Pitt attack errors, but the Panthers scored the final six points of the set.
Set 4: UC 25-21
The Bearcats started strong in the fourth with a block by Fauske and Oliver and followed with kills by Oliver and Mallon and a Panthers error to lead 4-1. A 4-0 run made it 8-2 as Mallon had two more kills, Tziarli and Heckenmueller a block and Thompson a kill. The lead grew to six, 12-6, after a Thompson kill, Tziarli and Thompson block and Tziarli and Fauske block. Pitt worked back with a 5-0 run to trail 14-13. UC held on, as Mallon had a kill and back-to-back aces to put the lead at 21-17. A Pitt service error brought on set point. The Panthers scored two more points on a kill before Thompson sent the match to the fifth.
Set 5: UC 15-13
The fifth set was as up-and-down as could be. Pitt came out and scored the first four points, but UC stormed ahead with the next five from a Thompson kill, Pitt error, two more Thompson kills and an Oliver kill. The Panthers then answered with a 4-0 run to lead 8-5. The Bearcats snuck back, to make it an 11-9 set on a Mallon kill. Down 12-9, a 4-0 run put UC up 13-12. Thompson had a kill, Fauske and Tziarli a block, Thompson another kill and Pitt an error for the lead. The Panthers tied it on a kill, but another block, this time by Fauske and Tziarli, and a Mallon kill kept the Bearcats dancing.
// UP NEXT
UC will head to No. 3 Stanford to face No. 11 Penn State in Regional action Friday, December 13.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.