TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team hosts Arizona on Thursday and ninth-ranked Arizona State on Saturday, with both matches streaming on ESPN+.
THE RUNDOWN
- Cincinnati split its matches last week, sweeping West Virginia at home on Thursday before falling to Colorado on the road on Saturday.
- The Bearcats defeated WVU in straight sets, completing a season sweep of the Mountaineers. Cincinnati packed 2,532 fans into Fifth Third Arena for Education Day—the second-largest crowd in program history.
- Head coach Molly Alvey reached a career milestone with the win over WVU, notching her 200th victory at Cincinnati. She holds the second-most wins in Bearcats coaching history.
- Cincinnati's offense was on fire against WVU, posting its best hitting percentage of Big 12 play at .407, led by setter Katelyn Lefler's 35 assists. The .407 clip is the third-best by any team in league play this season.
- Sophomore Sydney Nolan registered a team-high 12 kills at a .550 clip with only one error on 20 attempts. Abby Walker (9 kills, .615), Carly Glendinning (9 kills, .375), Fallon Stewart (8 kills, .211), and Zeta Washington (6 kills, .500) also delivered standout performances against WVU.
- The Bearcats will face their fourth ranked opponent this season, No. 9 Arizona State, aiming to break a 15-match losing streak against ranked teams. The Bearcats are looking for their first ranked win since Dec. 7, 2019, when they took down No. 2-ranked Pitt in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
- Senior Abby Walker ranks eighth in the Big 12 in blocks per set (1.10) and ninth in hitting percentage (.343). She has led the team in blocks in 17 matches and has five or more blocks in seven contests. She's 12 kills away from 1,000 and two aces shy of 100 in her career.
- Freshman libero Faith Frame has tallied double-digit digs in 16 matches this season, averaging 3.93 digs per set (ninth in the Big 12) and earning Big 12 Rookie of the Week honors twice.
- Defensive specialists Julie Wittekind and Lilly Gillespie are averaging 2.17 and 1.53 digs per set, respectively, in conference play.
- Setter Katelyn Lefler has recorded nine double-doubles this season and ranks ninth in the league in assists per set (8.97). She posted her latest double-double against Colorado with 21 assists and 16 digs (tying her season high).
- Junior Carly Glendinning leads the team in kills (3.66), points (4.22), and aces (0.24) per set, ranking seventh in the Big 12 for both kills and points. She has recorded double-digit kills in 15 matches, with five matches featuring 20 or more kills.
- Sophomore Sydney Nolan is second on the team in kills (2.73) and third in digs (1.99). She has reached double-digit kills in 13 matches and boasts five double-doubles on the season.
- Cincinnati ranks fifth in the conference with 2.26 blocks per set, and its 15-block performance against Bowling Green remains the league's top showing for a three-set match.
- The Bearcats boast a 13-1 record when outhitting their opponents.
SERIES HISTORY
Cincinnati will face Arizona for the first time in program history. Arizona State leads the all-time series, 3-0. The last meeting came in 2009 at the Utah Classic, where ASU edged out Cincinnati in five sets.