TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati volleyball team swept Houston in three sets on Saturday afternoon inside Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats (12-8, 4-6 Big 12) earned their third sweep of the season with a balanced effort on both sides of the ball. Cincinnati tallied eight service aces, 37 kills and seven blocks, while holding Houston (8-14, 1-10 Big 12) to a .149 hitting percentage.
Senior Carly Glendinning recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 12 kills and 15 digs, as she also tied her career high with four aces.
Freshman Tatijana Simeunović turned in an efficient performance with six kills on a .667 clip, while leading the team with five blocks.
Sophomore Andi Spies posted 26 assists to go along with five kills, five digs and three blocks, and sophomore Lilly Gillespie added 14 digs on the back line.
Cincinnati jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the opening set behind a Simeunović kill, then extended its advantage to 15-6 after a 7-1 run capped by a block from Simeunović. Houston responded with a pair of scoring runs to close within 18-17, but back-to-back kills from Glendinning and freshman Izzy Busignani pushed the margin to 23-19. A Glendinning kill sealed the first set, 25-22.
In the second frame, a kill from senior Paige Pickering tied the score at 5-5 as both teams traded points early. Houston briefly pulled ahead 14-11, but the Bearcats countered with a 6-0 surge, highlighted by a Simeunović kill, to take a 20-18 lead. After the Cougars closed the gap to 23-22, Cincinnati closed it out with back-to-back points, including a Spies ace to clinch the set, 25-22.
The Bearcats carried their momentum into the third set, racing out to a 6-2 advantage. Houston battled back to take a 12-11 lead, but three straight Glendinning aces fueled a 5-0 UC run to reclaim control at 17-14. Cincinnati then used a 6-0 spurt to extend the margin to 23-15 before finishing off the sweep, 25-17.
// UP NEXT
The Bearcats hit the road to take on Kansas State in the Ahearn Field House on Thursday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. and No. 14 Kansas inside the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m.
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