TicketsSTANFORD, Calif. – University of Cincinnati volleyball saw its historic season come to a close Friday night when it battled No. 11 Penn State to five sets at the Stanford Regional.
The match marked the first in the history of the program at the NCAA Regional level as the Bearcats entered the weekend one of just sixteen teams remaining. UC ends the 2019 season with 27-7 overall record.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson's storied career came to an end after 30 kills on .282 hitting with three digs and two aces
• Armania Heckenmueller finished with 52 assists and seven digs
• Maria Mallon had a double-double with 19 kills and 15 digs
• Mackenzie Conner had 14 digs on the night
// POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-20
Thompson scored the first point of the match on a kill and the Bearcats stayed steady to win the opening set. The Nittany Lions got out 7-5 early, but a Karoline Fauske kill and Penn State error tied it up. Down 10-9, UC took the lead on a 3-0 run off a Fauske kill, Fauske ace and Adria Oliver kill. The lead went to two, 15-13, after a Mallon kill and Nittany Lion attack error. Kerstin Ficker served an ace to extend the lead to 18-15. Another 3-0 run from two Mallon kills and a Dimitra Tziarli and Damjana Cabarkapa block made it set-point. Mallon closed the first set with a kill.
Set 2: PSU 25-17
The Bearcats scored the first three points on a Thompson kill, Mallon ace and another Thompson kill, but the Nittany Lions worked back to win the set. A Penn State error and Thompson kill had UC ahead 9-8 and 12-11. At that point, Penn State put together a 4-0 run and UC could not grab the lead back. It was a three-point set late, 19-16, but five straight Nittany Lion points made it set point and a kill by Penn State ended it.
Set 3: UC 25-23
Once again UC started the set with a kill, this time by Oliver. Penn State scored the next three, but Oliver and Mallon kills and an error gave UC a 3-0 run to answer. Most the set went back and forth. Down 13-11, Mallon and Thompson went back-to-back will kills to tie the set. Down one later on, Oliver and Mallon teamed up for consecutive kills to take a 19-18 lead. The Nittany Lions were able to score back-to-back points once more, but the Bearcats scored four of the final five points to take the 2-1 match lead. Thompson scored three of those four points on kills.
Set 4: PSU 25-12
UC faltered in the fourth as Penn State was able to come back a second time to tie the match. Thompson tied the set early on at seven with two kills but Penn State jumped out to a 12-9 lead. Mallon scored on a kill, but the Nittany Lions went on a 6-0 run to lead by eight. The last two Bearcats points in the set were from Thompson and Fauske kills, but the final five points went to the Nittany Lions.
Set 5: PSU 15-11
The Bearcats battled in the final set but ultimately fell at the end. Thomspon started it off with a kill and Mallon tied the set at four and five, respectively, with kills. Penn State broke out of the tie with a 5-0 run. However, Mallon came out of a timeout with two kills to stop the streak. Mallon and Thompson went back-to-back to put the lead within two, 11-9. Thompson scored once more and the Bearcats' final point came via a Nittany Lions' error before Penn State ended the match with two more final points.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
The match marked the first in the history of the program at the NCAA Regional level as the Bearcats entered the weekend one of just sixteen teams remaining. UC ends the 2019 season with 27-7 overall record.
// NOTES
• Jordan Thompson's storied career came to an end after 30 kills on .282 hitting with three digs and two aces
• Armania Heckenmueller finished with 52 assists and seven digs
• Maria Mallon had a double-double with 19 kills and 15 digs
• Mackenzie Conner had 14 digs on the night
// POST-MATCH PRESS CONFERENCE
// SET BREAKDOWN
Set 1: UC 25-20
Thompson scored the first point of the match on a kill and the Bearcats stayed steady to win the opening set. The Nittany Lions got out 7-5 early, but a Karoline Fauske kill and Penn State error tied it up. Down 10-9, UC took the lead on a 3-0 run off a Fauske kill, Fauske ace and Adria Oliver kill. The lead went to two, 15-13, after a Mallon kill and Nittany Lion attack error. Kerstin Ficker served an ace to extend the lead to 18-15. Another 3-0 run from two Mallon kills and a Dimitra Tziarli and Damjana Cabarkapa block made it set-point. Mallon closed the first set with a kill.
Set 2: PSU 25-17
The Bearcats scored the first three points on a Thompson kill, Mallon ace and another Thompson kill, but the Nittany Lions worked back to win the set. A Penn State error and Thompson kill had UC ahead 9-8 and 12-11. At that point, Penn State put together a 4-0 run and UC could not grab the lead back. It was a three-point set late, 19-16, but five straight Nittany Lion points made it set point and a kill by Penn State ended it.
Set 3: UC 25-23
Once again UC started the set with a kill, this time by Oliver. Penn State scored the next three, but Oliver and Mallon kills and an error gave UC a 3-0 run to answer. Most the set went back and forth. Down 13-11, Mallon and Thompson went back-to-back will kills to tie the set. Down one later on, Oliver and Mallon teamed up for consecutive kills to take a 19-18 lead. The Nittany Lions were able to score back-to-back points once more, but the Bearcats scored four of the final five points to take the 2-1 match lead. Thompson scored three of those four points on kills.
Set 4: PSU 25-12
UC faltered in the fourth as Penn State was able to come back a second time to tie the match. Thompson tied the set early on at seven with two kills but Penn State jumped out to a 12-9 lead. Mallon scored on a kill, but the Nittany Lions went on a 6-0 run to lead by eight. The last two Bearcats points in the set were from Thompson and Fauske kills, but the final five points went to the Nittany Lions.
Set 5: PSU 15-11
The Bearcats battled in the final set but ultimately fell at the end. Thomspon started it off with a kill and Mallon tied the set at four and five, respectively, with kills. Penn State broke out of the tie with a 5-0 run. However, Mallon came out of a timeout with two kills to stop the streak. Mallon and Thompson went back-to-back to put the lead within two, 11-9. Thompson scored once more and the Bearcats' final point came via a Nittany Lions' error before Penn State ended the match with two more final points.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.