TicketsTAMPA, FLA. – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team posted a five-set, come-from-behind victory over USF Thursday, the first of a two-game American Athletic Conference series at the Corral in Tampa, Florida.
The Bearcats won the first set, USF took sets two and three and UC closed out the match by winning sets four and five.
Cincinnati (5-3, 3-0 AAC) finished the match with 63 kills through 162 attempts and a .247 hitting percentage. The Bearcats also put up a season-high 10 services aces and 77 digs against USF (5-4, 3-1 AAC), accumulating 15.4 digs per set.
UC enters the second day of the set at 3-0 in league play, battling UCF for the top spot in the AAC east.
NOTES
SET BREAKDOWN
SET 1: UC, 25-23
The Bearcats struck first on a service ace by Heckenmueller to open that mach. USF quickly answered with a seven-point streak led Marta Cvitkovic, who gathered two service aces of her own. A solo block by Adria Oliver shortened USF's lead to four, at 11-15. Cincinnati held its momentum, accumulating three kills and forcing a Bulls timeout with a score of 15-17. The Bearcats evened the score at 19 where they were able hold the lead for the remainder of the set. After overcoming a seven-point deficit, a kill by Oliver awarded the Bearcats the first set.
SET 2: USF, 25-21
The Bulls got off to an early 3-point lead after three attack errors landed in their favor. The Bearcats answered with a six-point streak, including back-to-back services aces by Mallon, reclaiming a 10-9 lead and forcing a USF timeout. The score would remain even through the second set, where a service ace by USF's Alexis Wallace gave the Bull's a 21-18 lead, forcing a Cincinnati timeout. The Bulls held onto the lead taking the second set 25-21 after a long rally resulted in a set-point kill by Ally Barnhart.
SET 3: USF, 25-23
The battle continued into the third set where the score held even through five. USF began to pull away on with 12-7 lead led by Makayla Washington who accumulated three points for the Bulls. Mallon answered with her 11th kill of the afternoon bringing the Bearcats within three. USF was the first to 20 after a kill by Marta Cvitkovic extended the Bulls to a 20-15 lead. A service ace by Cvitkovic set Bulls up for the set point, defending a late surge by the Bearcats, taking the third set 25-23.
SET 4: UC, 25-14
Cincinnati rallied in the fourth set with a staggering 7-1 lead over the Bulls. A pair of aces by Payton Frederick forced a USF timeout, shifting the momentum in the Bearcats favor. The score continued to climb after a set of attack errors and a service ace by Heckenmueller gave UC a 16-7 lead. USF replied with a four-score streak of its own, closing the gap to five. Mallon led UC to a fourth set victory after lining up the set point on her 19th kill of the match. Hanna Bolinger put the fourth set away on an assist by Kozer.
SET 5: UC, 15-6
UC kept its energy going into the final set of the evening, taking an early 3-0 lead. A long rally ended in the Bearcats favor after Bolinger hammered one down the middle extending the Bearcats to a 9-4 advantage. The Bearcats were the first to 10 after Waters secured her 15th kill of the game. A three-point streak by UC brought the score to 14 and match point. UC concluded its dominating two-set comeback the same way it started the match, on a service ace by Heckenmuller.
UP NEXT
UC returns to the Corral to close out the second day of conference play against USF starting Friday at 4 p.m. ET. The match will be available for live stream on ESPN+. Live stats will be available here.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.
The Bearcats won the first set, USF took sets two and three and UC closed out the match by winning sets four and five.
Cincinnati (5-3, 3-0 AAC) finished the match with 63 kills through 162 attempts and a .247 hitting percentage. The Bearcats also put up a season-high 10 services aces and 77 digs against USF (5-4, 3-1 AAC), accumulating 15.4 digs per set.
UC enters the second day of the set at 3-0 in league play, battling UCF for the top spot in the AAC east.
NOTES
- Maria Mallon led the way with a season-high 21 kills, 24 digs and three service aces, securing her fourth-straight double-double of the season.
- Madison Waters claimed a double-double of her own with 16 kills, 16 digs and a hit percentage of .262, the highest of the evening.
- Adria Oliver had eight kills and three blocks.
- Armania Heckenmueller led the team in assists with 26 and three aces.
- Payton Frederick was the third Bearcats player with three service aces while also claiming 14 digs.
SET BREAKDOWN
SET 1: UC, 25-23
The Bearcats struck first on a service ace by Heckenmueller to open that mach. USF quickly answered with a seven-point streak led Marta Cvitkovic, who gathered two service aces of her own. A solo block by Adria Oliver shortened USF's lead to four, at 11-15. Cincinnati held its momentum, accumulating three kills and forcing a Bulls timeout with a score of 15-17. The Bearcats evened the score at 19 where they were able hold the lead for the remainder of the set. After overcoming a seven-point deficit, a kill by Oliver awarded the Bearcats the first set.
SET 2: USF, 25-21
The Bulls got off to an early 3-point lead after three attack errors landed in their favor. The Bearcats answered with a six-point streak, including back-to-back services aces by Mallon, reclaiming a 10-9 lead and forcing a USF timeout. The score would remain even through the second set, where a service ace by USF's Alexis Wallace gave the Bull's a 21-18 lead, forcing a Cincinnati timeout. The Bulls held onto the lead taking the second set 25-21 after a long rally resulted in a set-point kill by Ally Barnhart.
SET 3: USF, 25-23
The battle continued into the third set where the score held even through five. USF began to pull away on with 12-7 lead led by Makayla Washington who accumulated three points for the Bulls. Mallon answered with her 11th kill of the afternoon bringing the Bearcats within three. USF was the first to 20 after a kill by Marta Cvitkovic extended the Bulls to a 20-15 lead. A service ace by Cvitkovic set Bulls up for the set point, defending a late surge by the Bearcats, taking the third set 25-23.
SET 4: UC, 25-14
Cincinnati rallied in the fourth set with a staggering 7-1 lead over the Bulls. A pair of aces by Payton Frederick forced a USF timeout, shifting the momentum in the Bearcats favor. The score continued to climb after a set of attack errors and a service ace by Heckenmueller gave UC a 16-7 lead. USF replied with a four-score streak of its own, closing the gap to five. Mallon led UC to a fourth set victory after lining up the set point on her 19th kill of the match. Hanna Bolinger put the fourth set away on an assist by Kozer.
SET 5: UC, 15-6
UC kept its energy going into the final set of the evening, taking an early 3-0 lead. A long rally ended in the Bearcats favor after Bolinger hammered one down the middle extending the Bearcats to a 9-4 advantage. The Bearcats were the first to 10 after Waters secured her 15th kill of the game. A three-point streak by UC brought the score to 14 and match point. UC concluded its dominating two-set comeback the same way it started the match, on a service ace by Heckenmuller.
UP NEXT
UC returns to the Corral to close out the second day of conference play against USF starting Friday at 4 p.m. ET. The match will be available for live stream on ESPN+. Live stats will be available here.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
Follow the Bearcats on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. You can follow Head Coach Molly Alvey on Twitter.