TicketsCINCINNATI — The Cincinnati volleyball team (6-3) is set to take a short trip to Norwood to face off against Xavier (6-3) in the Queen City Classic on Friday at 6 p.m. inside the Cintas Center.
The match will stream on XAVIER+.
Cincinnati leads the all-time series 29-14 over Xavier in the Queen City Classic. The teams met last season, when the Bearcats swept the Musketeers at Fifth Third Arena in front of 2,208 fans.
// PERFORMING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
Sydney Nolan and Kate Lijic have been among the nation's best to start the season.
Nolan already has two 20-plus-kill matches, including 25 kills in a reverse-sweep win over Illinois — the second-most in a Big 12 five-set match this season — and 23 kills against Michigan, the most in a Big 12 three-set match this season. She ranks 18th nationally and fourth in the Big 12 in kills per set (4.30).
Lijic ranks fifth nationally and first in the Big 12 in assists per set (11.48) and set her career high with 54 assists against Illinois.
// EFFICIENT ATTACKING
The Bearcats own the third-highest team hitting percentage in the Big 12 at .280 and have posted three of the top 10 most efficient attacking matches in the conference this season: a .477 clip (42-8-76) against Illinois on Aug. 29, a .435 clip (53-6-108) against Ball State on Sept. 15 and a .387 clip (47-11-93) against Morehead State on Sept. 10.
Cincinnati hit .447 against Syracuse, led by Andrea Simovski's 11 kills on .500 hitting. Nina Scrucca added nine kills on .368 hitting, while Nolan and Audrey Rome each had six kills and Lilian Entenmann added five kills while hitting .833.
Against Illinois, Nolan led three Bearcats with double-digit kills, finishing with a match-high 25 kills on .345 hitting, while Simovski added 13 kills (.344) and Scrucca had 11 kills (.409) to go with five aces. Against Ball State, Scrucca recorded 13 kills while hitting .591, marking the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in the Big 12 this season.
// NEWCOMER IMPACT
Cincinnati has received significant contributions from its newcomers, with juniors Simovski and Lijic and freshmen Viktoria Ninova and Scrucca making an immediate impact for the Bearcats.
Lijic set a career high with 54 assists against Illinois and has totaled 30-plus assists in eight of nine matches. She ranks first in the Big 12 and fifth nationally in assists per set (11.48).
Ninova leads Cincinnati in digs with 107 (3.69 digs/set) — she recorded 18 apiece against Michigan and Ball State — and has posted double-digit digs in six matches, ranking eighth in the Big 12 in digs per set.
Simovski posted a double-double against Illinois with 13 kills and 13 digs. Scrucca leads UC in service aces with 15 and is second on the team in kills with 76 (2.62 kills/set).
// CINCINNATI DIGS DEEP
Cincinnati ranks fifth in the Big 12 in digs per set (13.86), led by Ninova's team-high 3.69 digs per set. The Bearcats also recorded the most digs (59) in a three-match set in the Big 12 this season, in their match against Michigan on Sept. 5.
// PINPOINT ACCURACY
Cincinnati is averaging 2.10 aces per set, the best mark in the Big 12 and 22nd nationally. The Bearcats recorded 12 aces against Illinois, the second-most in a Big 12 match this season, with Scrucca contributing five of those — the third-most by a conference player in a match this season. Simovski added four aces against Syracuse.
// LIJIC NAMED TO BIG 12 STARTING SEVEN
Lijic was named to the Big 12 Starting Seven on Sept. 8 following a strong weekend at the Popcorn Classic, where she helped lead the Bearcats to a 2-1, runner-up finish — highlighted by sweeps over Valparaiso and Oakland — and earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
Lijic totaled 112 assists over three matches (nine sets) during the tournament, a 12.44 assists/set clip, with 42 assists in the sweep of Valparaiso, 33 assists in the 0-3 loss to Michigan and 37 assists in the sweep of Oakland.
// RECAPPING LAST MATCH
Nolan led the way with 14 kills on a .375 clip as the University of Cincinnati volleyball team swept Ball State in straight sets Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Scrucca was nearly unstoppable on an extremely efficient night, posting a career-best 13 kills on a .591 clip to go with three digs and two block assists. Izzy Busignani added 10 kills (.391) with five digs. Lijic ran the offense with a match-high 41 assists, also serving up three aces. Ninova paced all players, tying a career high with 18 digs.
Cincinnati outhit Ball State 53 kills on a .435 clip, compared to 40 kills on .224 hitting for the Cardinals. The Bearcats also held a decisive advantage at the net, six team blocks to one, while Ball State edged the dig column, 44-43.
// SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS
Xavier enters the contest mirroring Cincinnati's 6-3 record. The Musketeers finished last season 26-5 overall (1-2 in conference play) and made the NCAA tournament, falling to Michigan in a 3-0 opening-round loss.
Charlotte Morlarty headlines Xavier's attack with 108 kills (3.27 K/S). The Musketeers' defense is anchored by Kelsey Niesen, who ranks 15th nationally and second in the Big East with 4.82 digs per set, while their front line is led by the duo of McKinley Boehm (1.26 B/S, 5th in the Big East) and Margo Kemp (1.18 B/S, 7th in the Big East).
// 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.