TicketsVALPARAISO, Ind. — Senior Sydney Nolan recorded a double-double with 24 kills (.333) and 10 digs, but the University of Cincinnati volleyball team fell to Michigan 3-0 in the Popcorn Classic on Saturday.
Kate Lijic dished out 33 assists, Ligia Williams had five blocks, Nina Scrucca added four blocks, Viktoria Ninova finished with 18 digs and Ava Ledebuhr chipped in 11.
Michigan outhit the Bearcats .242 to .114 and led in both digs (64-59) and blocks (13-8). Ella Demetrican paced the Wolverines with 13 kills, 16 digs and five blocks.
The first set was tightly contested. Cincinnati jumped out to a 5-1 lead behind three kills from Nolan, but Michigan answered with seven straight points to go up 9-6. The Bearcats regained control with a 7-0 run – fueled by four service aces – to lead 16-12. A Michigan block tied the score at 21, and a Scrucca kill pushed Cincinnati to set point at 24-22, but the Wolverines rallied to win the set 28-26.
Michigan dominated the start of the second set, building a 16-5 lead. Cincinnati chipped away – a Nolan kill made it 17-13 and a Tatjana Simeunovic ace cut the deficit to 21-17 – but the Wolverines closed it out, 25-17.
Michigan again started fast in the third set, taking an 8-3 lead on a service ace. Cincinnati fought back: a Scrucca kill tied it at 10, a Nolan kill gave the Bearcats a 15-14 edge, and another Nolan kill knotted the score at 19. A Simeunovic block pushed Cincinnati to set point at 24-21, but Michigan again rallied, winning the set 28-26 to complete the sweep.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati rounds out the Popcorn Classic against Oakland on Sunday at 1 p.m. inside the Athletics-Recreation Center.
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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.
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