TicketsCINCINNATI — The University of Cincinnati volleyball team dropped its home opener to Santa Clara 3-0 on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Arena.
Santa Clara hit .308 as a team and held the Bearcats to .177. The Broncos also led in kills (42-37), digs (46-44) and blocks (8-3).
Sydney Nolan notched a double-double, leading Cincinnati with 12 kills and 12 digs. Kate Lijic tallied 30 assists — she has reached 30 or more assists in all three matches this season. Ava Ledebuhr added 16 digs, one shy of a career best.
Santa Clara's Morgan Hayes and Cate Shanahan each recorded 12 kills to lead the Broncos. Shanahan also added four blocks.
Santa Clara started fast, jumping to an early 14-5 lead in the opening set. Consecutive aces from Andrea Simovski pushed the score to 17-9, but the Broncos closed out the set 25-16.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with the score knotted at 13-13. A Nina Scrucca kill gave Cincinnati a 19-18 lead, and an Audrey Rome block made it 21-19. Santa Clara then rattled off four straight points to narrowly take the set, 25-23.
A service error from Grace Flanagan tied the third set at 7-7. Santa Clara went on a 6-1 run to take a 15-9 lead, but the Bearcats answered with a 6-1 run of their own — fueled by three Nolan kills — to make it 17-16. A kill from Izzy Busignani cut the deficit to 22-21, but Santa Clara closed out the match with consecutive service aces, winning the third set 25-21.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati heads to Valparaiso, Ind., for the Popcorn Classic, where it will face host Valparaiso on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m., Michigan on Sept. 5 at 2 p.m. and Oakland on Sept. 6 at 1 p.m. All matches will be played at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
// 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.