TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati volleyball team is set to host Santa Clara in its home opener after starting the season 2-0. The Bearcats welcome the Broncos on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 6:30 p.m. inside Fifth Third Arena.
The match will be streamed via ESPN+.
// SERIES HISTORY
Cincinnati and Santa Clara have met only once before, when the Broncos won 3-1 in the 1999 NCAA tournament.
// SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Santa Clara enters the contest winless at 0-3, having dropped all three matches at the Flyer Invitational in Dayton, Ohio. The Broncos fell to Eastern Illinois (3-2), Wright State (3-2), and tournament host Dayton (3-1).
Junior Bryn Shankle anchors the front line with a team-high 16 blocks (1.23 per set). Morgan Hayes leads the offense with 59 kills (4.21 per set), while Macy Hinshaw runs the attack with 142 assists (10.14 per set).
// RECAPPING THE WEEKEND
Cincinnati played two matches in Champaign, Ill., — a true road match against Illinois and a neutral-site match against Syracuse – and won both. The Bearcats topped the Fighting Illini in a reverse sweep, 3-2, then swept the Orange, 3-0, opening the season 2-0 for the first time since 2018.
// NEWCOMER IMPACT
Against Syracuse, junior Kate Lijic piled up 34 assists, while freshman Viktoria Ninova led UC with 14 digs. Against Illinois, Lijic set a career high with 54 assists, and Ninova paced the team with 15 digs. Junior Andrea Simovski notched a double-double in the Illinois match with 13 kills and 13 digs.
// EFFICIENT ATTACKING
Cincinnati hit a combined .328 through its first two matches, ranking second in the Big 12. The Bearcats posted a single-match conference-best .447 against Syracuse, led by Simovski's 11 kills on .500 hitting. Freshman Nina Scrucca added nine kills (.368), senior Sydney Nolan and fifth-year Audrey Rome each had six kills, and senior Lilian Entenmann chipped in five kills while hitting .833.
Nolan took over against Illinois, headlining a trio of Bearcats with double-digit kills. She finished with a match-high 25 kills (.345), while Simovski added 13 (.344) and Scrucca registered 11 (.409) to go with five service aces.
// PINPOINT ACCURACY
Cincinnati is averaging 2.50 aces per set, best in the Big 12. The Bearcats racked up 12 service aces against Illinois, the top single-match mark in the conference this season. Scrucca ranks fourth in the Big 12 in aces per set (0.75), and her five against Illinois are the most by any player in a match this year. Simovski added four service aces against Syracuse.
// GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY
Single-match tickets are $15 for courtside seating, based on availability, and $10 for general admission. Group general admission tickets are available for $5. Family 4-Packs are also available for all weekend matches (Friday through Sunday), which include four tickets and a $20 concession voucher.
Season tickets for the 2026 season are on sale, with general admission packages starting at $75 and new courtside seating options priced at $125.
To secure your spots for the upcoming season, click HERE to purchase your tickets online, or contact the Bearcats Ticket Office at 513-556-2287 today.