TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team returns to Fifth Third Arena for its final homestand of the regular season, hosting No. 22 Iowa State on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and No. 21 Colorado on Friday at 6:30 p.m. for Senior Night.
Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.
The Bearcats enter the week after a dramatic reverse sweep at Texas Tech on Nov. 14, improving to 14-10 overall and 6-8 in Big 12 play. Cincinnati continues to showcase one of the league’s most balanced profiles, ranking 34th nationally in blocks per set (2.56, fourth Big 12) and 46th in hitting percentage (.253, third Big 12). UC also holds the No. 48 spot in the latest RPI.
// MILESTONES REACHED AND UPCOMING
Head coach Danijela Tomić earned her 400th career win on Sept. 13 in a 3-1 victory over Illinois State, becoming one of only 47 active Division I coaches to reach the mark.
Senior outside hitter Carly Glendinning surpassed 1,000 career kills with a season-high 19 against No. 19 BYU on Oct. 1 and later reached 150 career blocks on Oct. 4 versus Kansas State.
Junior outside hitter Sydney Nolan eclipsed 700 career kills following a 17-kill effort at No. 11 TCU on Oct. 15. Graduate student McKenzie Johnson continues her pursuit of 1,500 career digs and enters the week with 1,468.
// SERIES HISTORY
Iowa State leads the all-time series 5–1, with the program's first meeting in 1979, a 2-1 Bearcat win. The Cyclones claimed the most recent matchup, 3–1, behind a 61–29 advantage in kills.
Colorado holds a 2–0 edge in the all-time series. In the last meeting on Nov. 9, 2024, the Buffaloes swept Cincinnati 3–0 while leading in kills (42–33), hitting percentage (.302–.075), and assists (41–28).
// NOLAN SPEARHEADING THE ATTACK
Nolan continues to rank among the nation’s top offensive threats, sitting 16th nationally in kills per set (4.53), 22nd in attacks per set (11.71), and 28th in points per set (4.94).
Within the Big 12, she stands second in attacks per set, third in kills per set, and fifth in points per set.
Nolan has recorded eight 20-kill performances this season and leads the Bearcats in kills while hitting .301. She earned Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 9 after totaling 52 kills at the Chattanooga Classic.
// SPIES DISHING OUT DIMES
Sophomore setter Andi Spies has played a pivotal role in UC’s offensive rhythm, surpassing 40 assists in seven matches this season. She logged a season-best 52 assists against West Virginia on Sept. 27, her first 50+ outing at Cincinnati.
Spies ranks seventh in the Big 12 in assists per set (9.37) and has tallied seven double-doubles this season. Her career high of 55 assists came at Middle Tennessee against Louisiana Tech on Oct. 24, 2024.
// GLENDINNING’S TWO-WAY IMPACT
Glendinning continues to anchor UC on both sides of the ball, leading the team with nine double-doubles. She recorded a season-high 20 kills against No. 14 Kansas and posted a career-high 19 digs in a 3-1 win over Utah.
Glendinning has tallied 10 matches with 15+ kills and 11 with double-digit digs.
// LAST TIME OUT – REVERSE SWEEP IN LUBBOCK
Cincinnati earned its sixth Big 12 win of the season with a 3-2 reverse sweep at Texas Tech on Nov. 14. The Bearcats totaled 52 kills on a .247 hitting percentage and 16 blocks while holding the Red Raiders to a .207 clip down the stretch.
Nolan led UC with 22 kills on .286, while Glendinning recorded her ninth double-double with 12 kills (.306) and 16 digs. Freshman middle blocker Tatjana Simeunovic posted a career-high 10 blocks, and senior Paige Pickering added five.
After dropping the first two sets, the Bearcats roared back with wins of 25-23, 25-19 and 15-7, highlighted by a late 4-1 surge in the third, timely runs in the fourth, and an 8-2 start to the decisive fifth.
// BROOMS OUT IN FIFTH THIRD
UC also secured a sweep of UCF on Nov. 13 inside Fifth Third Arena, its fifth Big 12 victory of the season. The Bearcats hit .278 with 42 kills and nine blocks, holding the Knights to a .163 clip.
Nolan led with 16 kills (.310), while Glendinning posted her eighth double-double (11 kills, 14 digs). Simeunovic added six blocks, and libero Lilly Gillespie collected 16 digs. Spies directed the attack with 35 assists as UC claimed the match 25-21, 25-19, 25-22.
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati volleyball, visit GoBEARCATS.com and follow @GoBearcatsVB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.