TicketsLUBBOCK, Texas — The University of Cincinnati volleyball team pulled off an improbable reverse sweep on the road Friday night, rallying past Texas Tech in five sets inside United Supermarkets Arena.
The Bearcats (14-10, 6-8 Big 12) fought back after dropping the first two sets to stun the Red Raiders (10-16, 2-12 Big 12). Cincinnati controlled the front line throughout the night, finishing with 16 blocks and 52 kills while hitting .247 as a team. Texas Tech started hot and ended the night with 72 kills on a .207 clip, but its momentum faded down the stretch.
Cincinnati’s rally sparked late in the third set, where the Bearcats trailed 21-19 and faced the brink of a sweep. A 4-1 burst flipped the frame to a 23-22 advantage, and after the Red Raiders evened it at 23-all, the Bearcats closed out a 25-23 win to extend the match.
Cincinnati carried the shift into the fourth set, forcing a decisive fifth. The Bearcats seized control immediately in the final frame, jumping ahead 8-2 behind a Sydney Nolan service ace and never looking back. They closed out the set 15-7 to complete the improbable reverse sweep.
The first two sets were tightly contested, with Cincinnati dropping both by a combined seven points before flipping the match’s momentum for good.
Nolan dominated with 22 kills on a .286 hitting percentage, marking her eighth match this season with at least 20 terminations.
Senior Carly Glendinning delivered an impressive all-around performance, securing her team-leading ninth double-double with 12 kills (.306) and 16 digs. The Lake St. Louis, Missouri native also contributed three service aces and four blocks.
At the net, freshman Tatjana Simeunovic commanded the defense with a career-high 10 blocks, while senior Paige Pickering added five blocks of her own to stifle the opposition's attack.
In the opening frame, a Gretchen Sigman kill knotted the score at 5-5 before Texas Tech responded with a 4-1 push, capped by an ace, to go up 9-6. Cincinnati answered with four straight points, capitalizing on Red Raider errors to take a 10-9 lead. Texas Tech regained control behind a three-point burst to move ahead 16-13. A Glendinning service ace later cut the deficit to 20-18, but the Red Raiders held off the late push and secured the set 25-22.
Cincinnati again started fast in the second set, jumping to a 3-0 lead highlighted by a Nolan kill. Texas Tech drew even at 6-6 before consecutive Glendinning kills fueled a 5-0 Bearcat run for an 11-6 advantage. The Red Raiders responded with a 5-1 spurt to make it 12-11. Back-to-back UC points stretched the lead to 17-15, but Texas Tech answered with four straight, two coming from Kenna McKenzie, and rode that momentum to a 25-21 win and a two-set lead.
The Bearcats opened the third with another 3-0 burst, only for Texas Tech to counter with an 8-1 run behind seven kills to take an 8-4 edge. Cincinnati chipped back to within 12-11 after several Red Raider miscues, but Texas Tech again surged, scoring four straight for a 16-11 lead. Cincinnati flipped the frame with a sequence of three consecutive blocks, two from Simeunovic to tie it at 19-all. A late 4-0 push gave the Bearcats a 23-22 lead, and they closed out the set 25-23 to extend the match.
The fourth set remained tight early until a Glendinning ace ignited a 5-0 Cincinnati run to create a 12-8 cushion. A 4-1 surge moments later extended the lead to 16-11. Texas Tech answered with four straight points to pull within one, but UC countered immediately with a decisive 4-0 burst to take a 24-18 advantage and finished off the set 25-19 to force the fifth.
From there, the Bearcats controlled the decisive frame from start to finish, completing one of their most dramatic victories of the season.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati returns home for a two-match homestand against ranked opponents, hosting No. 25 Iowa State on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 6:30 p.m., followed by No. 22 Colorado on Friday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. Both matches will take place at Fifth Third Arena.
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