TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team notched its first Big 12 conference win of the season as they defeated West Virginia in four sets on Saturday afternoon inside Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats improve to 9-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big 12 after giving West Virginia its first set loss since Sept. 1, 2025
Setter Andi Spies directed the offense as she dished out a season-high 52 assists. Junior Sydney Nolan (19k, .400) and senior Carly Glendinning (18k, .412) excelled in the front court, as the duo slammed down 37 combined kills while hitting in the .400 range.
Glendinning notched her fourth double-double of the season as she added 13 digs to her stat line as well.
Redshirt freshman Brooke Crummel and freshman Elliott Mickelberry commanded the net as Crummel put up five blocks and Mickelberry claimed four.
As a team, the Bearcats recorded 61 kills, hitting at a .374 clip alongside 53 digs.
The Bearcats jumped out in front to begin the first set before the Mountaineers gained a 5-3 early lead. Cincinnati came back to tie things up at 11 and eventually pulled ahead at 13-12. The momentum didn’t stop there as three-straight kills from Crummel, Nolan and Glendinning put the Bearcats in front by six (21-15). UC went on to claim the first set, 25-21, thanks to a Sigman slammer.
West Virginia grabbed an early 2-1 lead before Cincinnati bounced back and tied it up at 5-5. The Mountaineers regained their lead, powered by a 3-0 run (11-8). A blistering block from Mickelberry and Sigman brought UC back within four, but WVU was able to hold on and take the second frame 25-20.
The Bearcats showed true resilience in the third stanza, claiming an early 3-1 lead fueled by two kills from Nolan. A duo block from Sigman and Crummel paired with a kill from Nolan, put the Bearcats in front by four, forcing a West Virginia timeout (10-6). Nolan found her groove, notching seven kills in the third frame alone. UC maintained in front for the full set and sealed the third set win with a 6-1 scoring run (25-12).
Cincinnati came out strong in the fourth set, seizing momentum early behind a Sigman kill and a Nolan service ace to set the tone. The Bearcats capitalized on nine West Virginia errors. Midway through the frame, Nolan and Mickelberry delivered back-to-back kills to put the set out of reach, and a late surge from the front line sealed the 25-17 finish.