TicketsCINCINNATI — Sydney Nolan piled up a career-high 30 kills, and Cincinnati volleyball rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Arizona 25-16, 19-25, 21-25, 27-25, 15-11 on Sunday at Fifth Third Arena.
The Bearcats improved to 10-8 overall and 3-5 in the Big 12. The Wildcats fell to 6-14 and 1-8.
Cincinnati won despite being out-blocked 16-5, relying on a historic defensive effort. Four Bearcats had double-digit digs, and the team’s 110 total is the most by a Big 12 team this season and the most in program history in the rally scoring era.
Nolan’s 30 kills are the most by a conference player this season and marked her sixth match with 20 or more.
Andrea Simovski recorded her third double-double of the year with a season-high 24 kills and a career-high 22 digs. She is the first Power 4 player this season with 20 kills and 20 digs in a match.
Viktoria Ninova led the back row with a career-high 34 digs, the most by a conference player in a match this season.
Destin Ndam-Simpson paced Arizona with 19 kills, 19 digs and three blocks.
The opening set saw Cincinnati jump out to a 6-2 lead, highlighted by a Ninova ace. The Wildcats tied the match at 7-7, but the Bearcats retook the lead and never trailed again. A four-point run, fueled by two Nolan kills and a Kate Lijic ace, stretched the lead from 12-10 to 16-10, and Cincinnati closed it out 25-16. Nolan had seven kills in the set.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with 11 ties, including 11-11 on a Nolan kill. Arizona then used a 9-1 run to build a 21-14 lead, and the Wildcats held on to win 25-19 despite a late push from Cincinnati.
The third set was tightly contested. A Ligia Williams kill put Cincinnati ahead 8-7, but Arizona scored five straight points, four of them kills, to lead 14-10. Simovski sparked a 6-1 run to even the set at 20-20, but the Wildcats scored the final five of six points and closed it out 25-21.
Cincinnati took control early in the fourth set, using two Simovski aces for a 3-0 lead and extending it to 7-1. Arizona answered with a 5-0 run to tie it at 10-10, and the set was tied eight times from there. The Wildcats led 24-22 and had set point, but Cincinnati scored five of the final six points, with Simovski putting down four straight kills to turn 23-24 into 25-24. An Ndam-Simpson attack error ended it, 27-25.
The Bearcats never trailed in the deciding set. They built a 3-0 lead and stretched it to 9-7 before Arizona took a timeout, then went up 12-8 on a Nolan kill and forced a second Wildcat timeout. Arizona cut the lead to 12-10, but Cincinnati responded with kills from Nolan and Simovski, and Simovski’s kill at 15-11 sealed the win. Nolan had six kills in the set.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati hits the road for a ranked showdown with No. 25 Colorado on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 9 p.m. ET inside Boulder’s CU Events Center. The Bearcats then return to the Queen City to host West Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. at Fifth Third Arena.
// 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.
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