Cincinnati Hosts #16 Baylor, #22 TCU

CINCINNATI –  The University of Cincinnati volleyball team wraps up its 2024 season with two home matches this week, facing No. 16 Baylor on Wednesday and No. 22 TCU on Friday.
 
Friday's match will also mark Senior Day, as the program celebrates the careers of Abby Walker, Molly Harrison, Irbe Lazda, Katelyn Lefler and Julie Wittekind.
 
THE RUNDOWN

• Cincinnati earned one of its most significant victories in recent years last Thursday, defeating then-No. 24 BYU in five sets in Provo, Utah. After dropping the first set, the Bearcats rallied to win the next two and ultimately edged the Cougars in a decisive fifth set. The win marked Cincinnati's first victory over a ranked opponent since 2019, snapping a 16-match losing streak against ranked teams.
• Late-match heroics by sophomore Sydney Nolan boosted UC to victory. The Florence, Ky., native captured eight kills in the fifth set and earned her first 20-kill match of her career (22).
• Senior Abby Walker notched two milestones vs. BYU, recording her 1,000th career kill in the first set and her 100th career ace in the fourth. She delivered nine kills and added a team-high seven blocks
• Walker was drafted by the Columbus Fury in the 2024 PVF Collegiate Draft on Monday, Nov. 25. She was picked in the fourth round as the 32nd overall selection.
• For the fourth time this season, Faith Frame was named the Big 12 Rookie of the Week. Frame was instrumental in UC's thrilling five-set victory over No. 24 BYU, racking up a match-high 24 digs to help secure the upset. Her defensive efforts helped the Bearcats hold a commanding 74-56 advantage in digs.
• Frame has tallied double-digit digs in 19 matches, with five matches featuring 20 or more digs. She ranks sixth in the league with 4.07 digs per set.
• Frame's four Rookie of the Week honors are tied for the most by any Big 12 freshman this season and are the most by a Bearcat since Jordan Thompson earned AAC Player of the Week recognition seven times during her historic 2019 season.
• Fifth-year Irbe Lazda notched her second double-digit kill performance of the season (15) hitting at an impressive .370 clip vs. BYU. Over the last four matches, she is averaging 2.53 kills and 0.73 blocks per set.
• Setter Katelyn Lefler has recorded nine double-doubles this season and ranks ninth in the league in assists per set (8.91). She dished out a season-high 57 assists to guide UC to its upset of BYU.
• The freshman class delivered in the win, with Frame (24), Gillespie (11), and Sigman (11) combining for 46 digs. Gillespie also recorded a career-high four aces, while Stewart tallied nine kills, including the match-winner.
• Nolan, who made the move back to the outside against Arizona, has posted 10 or more kills in four of her last six matches, averaging 3.38 kills and 1.29 digs per set during that stretch.
• Walker ranks 10th in the Big 12 in both blocks per set (1.07) and hitting percentage (.340). She has led the team in blocks in 19 matches and has posted five or more blocks in eight contests.
• Defensive specialists Julie Wittekind and Lilly Gillespie are averaging 1.98 and 1.63 digs per set, respectively, in conference play.
• Junior Carly Glendinning leads the team in kills (3.46 per set), ranking 10th in the Big 12. She has recorded double-digit kills in 15 matches, with five of those featuring 20 or more kills.
• Nolan is second on the team in kills (2.83) and third in digs (1.89). She has reached double-digit kills in 16 matches and boasts five double-doubles on the season.
• Cincinnati ranks fifth in the conference with 2.24 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 trails TCU 3-2 in the all-time series. The Horned Frogs have won the last two matchups, including a four-set victory earlier this season in Fort Worth
• This will mark the sixth meeting between UC and Baylor. The Bearcats won the first-ever matchup in four sets in 1988, but the Bears have since claimed four consecutive victories, including a sweep of Cincinnati earlier this season.

 
BEARCATS GO PRO: WALKER DRAFTED BY FURY

• Senior Abby Walker was drafted by the Columbus Fury in the 2024 PVF Collegiate Draft on Monday, Nov. 25. She was picked in the fourth round as the 32nd overall selection.
• She joins a growing list of former Bearcats making their mark in the professional volleyball world, including Jordan Thompson, who will suit up for LOVB Houston Volleyball this winter, and Elissa Alcantara, who currently plays for Volley Bergamo in the Italian Women's Volleyball League.
• "Abby is a steal in the draft," said Fury's Head Coach Angel Perez.  "We were looking for a middle that could move side-to-side quickly and Abby fits the mode. We're also excited to have another native of (Cambridge) Ohio on our roster."