TicketsCINCINNATI — The Cincinnati volleyball team heads to Texas to play its first road conference game of the year against Houston on Friday at 7:30 p.m. inside the Fertitta Center.
The match will stream on ESPN+.
// SERIES HISTORY
Houston leads the all-time series 16-14. Cincinnati swept Houston in the most recent meeting on Nov. 1, 2025, a match that featured the Bearcats' Taylor Swift Day promotion.
// 1,000 KILLS FOR NOLAN
Nolan surpassed 1,000 career kills against Ball State on Sept. 15.
// PERFORMING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
Sydney Nolan and Kate Lijic have been among the nation's best to start the season.
Nolan already has three 20-plus-kill matches: 25 kills in the reverse-sweep win over Illinois (third-most in a Big 12 five-set match), 23 kills against Michigan (the most in a Big 12 three-set match) and 21 kills against Xavier. She ranks 28th nationally and sixth in the Big 12 in kills per set (4.16).
Lijic ranks 20th nationally and first in the Big 12 in assists per set (10.48) and set her career high with 54 assists against Illinois.
// NEWCOMER IMPACT
Cincinnati has received significant contributions from its newcomers, with juniors Lijic and Andrea Simovski and freshmen Viktoria Ninova and Nina Scrucca making an immediate impact.
Lijic has totaled 30-plus assists in nine matches and ranks first in the Big 12 and 20th nationally in assists per set (10.48).
Ninova leads Cincinnati with 140 digs (3.50 digs/set), including 18 apiece against Michigan and Ball State, and has posted double-digit digs in eight matches. She ranks 10th in the Big 12 in digs per set.
Simovski posted a double-double against Illinois with 13 kills and 13 digs.
Scrucca leads the Bearcats with 16 service aces and is second on the team with 111 kills (2.77 kills/set) on a team-best .348 hitting clip.
// CINCINNATI DIGS DEEP
Cincinnati ranks fourth in the Big 12 in digs per set (13.40), led by Ninova's 3.50 per set. The Bearcats also recorded the most digs (59) in a three-set match in the Big 12 this season, against Michigan on Sept. 5.
// PINPOINT ACCURACY
Cincinnati is averaging 1.90 aces per set, the second-best mark in the Big 12 and 40th nationally. The Bearcats recorded 12 aces against Illinois, the second-most in a Big 12 match this season, including five from Scrucca, the third-most by a conference player in a match this season.
Simovski is ninth in the Big 12 in aces per set (0.41), and Scrucca is 10th (0.40). Simovski also posted four aces against Syracuse.
// EFFICIENT ATTACKING
The Bearcats own the fourth-highest team hitting percentage in the Big 12 and rank 18th nationally at .289. They have two of the conference's top five most efficient attacking matches this season: a .477 clip (42-8-76) against Illinois on Aug. 29 and a .435 clip (53-6-108) against Ball State on Sept. 15.
Cincinnati hit .447 against Syracuse, led by Simovski's 11 kills on .500 hitting and Scrucca's nine kills on .368 hitting. Nolan and Audrey Rome each had six kills, and Lilian Entenmann added five kills on an .833 clip.
Against Illinois, Nolan led three Bearcats with double-digit kills, finishing with a match-high 25 on .345 hitting. Simovski added 13 kills (.344), and Scrucca had 11 kills (.409) plus five aces.
Scrucca recorded a career-high 17 kills against Xavier while hitting .652, the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage by a Big 12 player this season.
// RECAPPING LAST MATCH
The Bearcats fell 3-1 to No. 9 Arizona State on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Fifth Third Arena (25-16, 25-15, 22-25, 25-20). Cincinnati dropped to 7-5 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play, while the Sun Devils improved to 10-3 and 1-1.
Three Bearcats reached double figures in kills. Scrucca and Nolan each had 11, and Ligia Williams added 10. Scrucca also had six blocks, and Williams finished with five.
Arizona State outhit Cincinnati .304 to .107 and held advantages in assists (55-34), digs (53-37) and blocks (12-8). Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year Noemie Glover led the Sun Devils with 23 kills on .354 hitting, along with nine digs and seven blocks.
// SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Houston, led by eighth-year head coach David Rehr, enters the match 8-5 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play. The Cougars are coming off a 3-1 road win over Kansas State, which is receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll.
Sydney Jones leads the attack, ranking 11th nationally and third in the Big 12 with 4.49 kills per set. Setter Kalei Edson averages 9.15 assists per set, and Mattie Casale anchors the back row with 3.87 digs per set, fifth best in the conference.
// 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.