TicketsMORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team earned a four-set victory over Big 12 opponent West Virginia on Wednesday night inside WVU Coliseum.
The Bearcats (10-5, 3-2 Big 12) swept the season series against the Mountaineers (13-3, 1-3 Big 12), having also won the first matchup in four sets at home on Sept. 27. Cincinnati held the edge in kills (54-46), service aces (6-1) and digs (63-51).
Junior outside hitter Sydney Nolan delivered another standout performance, finishing with 25 kills on a .358 hitting percentage. Sophomore Andi Spies recorded a double-double with 39 assists and 13 digs, while senior Paige Pickering put together an impressive game, notching a season high seven kills (.636) and five blocks.
The opening set featured a series of momentum swings. West Virginia jumped out to a 6-2 lead before Pickering sparked the Bearcats off the bench with three quick kills to pull within 9-6. Cincinnati fed off that energy, using a 6-0 run to move ahead 11-9. The teams traded points until a Gretchen Sigman ace fueled a late 6-1 surge to close the frame, 25-20.
West Virginia started strong again in the second set, taking a 4-1 advantage before Cincinnati answered with a 4-1 run to even things at 5-5. A Spies kill capped a 5-1 Bearcat burst to make it 10-8. After the Mountaineers briefly regained the lead at 13-12, UC closed the set on a dominant 7-1 run highlighted by another Sigman ace, securing a 25-18 win and a 2-0 match lead.
The third set was tightly contested early, with a Tatjana Simeunovic kill giving Cincinnati a 7-6 edge. West Virginia responded with an 8-2 run to take control, 20-14. UC fought back behind Nolan, who sparked a 5-1 rally to narrow the gap to 21-19. The Bearcats trimmed it to 23-22 after a Mountaineer error but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 25-23.
In the fourth, both sides traded runs before Cincinnati began to separate midway through the frame. A 4-0 spurt, capped by a Spies block, extended UC’s lead to 15-10. After West Virginia closed within one at 16-15, the Bearcats surged again behind a trio of kills to make it 19-15. UC finished strong, closing on a 5-2 run to take the set 25-21 and seal the match victory.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats head southwest to Texas, as they are set to take on TCU and Baylor next week. Cincinnati against TCU is set for Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET, while its match against Baylor is marked for Friday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m.
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