Sept. 18, 2010
LOUISVILLE - The Cincinnati Bearcats thwarted the Purdue volleyball team's quest for an eighth-straight victory, topping the Boilermakers 3-0 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge on Saturday. UC won the match 26-24, 25-22, 25-20 to go 2-0 in the event after downing No. 5 Illinois Friday evening.
Sophomore Ariel Turner racked up 16 kills to lead Purdue, while junior Tiffany Fisher chipped in 10 putaways. Senior setter Jaclyn Hart added six kills, while redshirt freshman Catherine Rebarchak tallied five. However, it was a 32-kill effort by Cincinnati's Stephanie Niemer that stole the spotlight in the match.
Defensively, junior Emily Ehlers paced Purdue with 17 digs, while sophomore Carly Cramer pulled up 11 saves. Hart and redshirt junior Blair Bashen each managed seven digs. At the net, Turner put a team-best six blocks, while Hart, Fisher and sophomore Anna Drewry each added four stuffs.
Turner and Hart were named to the Big East/Big Ten Challenge all-tournament team for their efforts against Louisville and Cincinnati.
The Bearcats edged Purdue 26-24 in the first set, which featured 15 ties and four lead changes. UC scored four of the first five points, but Purdue used a pair of blocks, including a solo stuff by senior Jaclyn Hart, and an ace by Turner to knot things up at 5-5. Trailing 9-7, Purdue managed five straight points to turn the deficit into a 12-9 advantage. Arthurs and Turner contributed kills, while Drewry pounded down an overpass and combined on a block with Turner in the rally which forced a Cincinnati timeout. The Bearcats tied it up at 12, sparking a string of 13 ties as the team's split the next 24 points. Purdue led 18-17 after an overpass kill by Arthurs, but UC managed to go up 19-18 after a pair of kills. Purdue regained the advantage at 22-21 after putaways by Turner and Fisher. Trailing 23-22, Cincinnati used a kill and a Boilermaker hitting miscue to earn its first chance at the set at 24-23. Drewry and Hart teamed up on a block to keep the set going, but a hitting error and a Niemer putaway capped the 26-24 Cincinnati win. Turner posted seven kills in the stanza for Purdue.
The Boilermakers scored four of the first six points in set two, but could not hold off the Bearcat effort in the stanza. Turner tallied a kill and a solo block, while Fisher put away an overpass and Rebarchak added a kill. Niemer took over for Cincinnati, registering five of her 15 kills in the set, as the Bearcats went up 8-6. Purdue went ahead 10-9 after kills by Hart, Rebarchak and Turner and a block by Turner and Drewry. UC scored 12 of the next 18 points to go up by five at 21-16 and force a Purdue timeout. The Boilermakers put up three straight points out of the break with two kills and a block by Turner to pull to within two at 21-19. Cincinnati used a 3-1 run to reach its first set point attempt at 24-20. A kill by Hart and a block by Hart and Fisher kept the set going, but a Niemer putaway capped the 25-22 UC win.
Cincinnati started the third set with a 5-1 run and fought off a few Boilermaker comeback bids en route to a 25-20 victory. Purdue scored four straight to tie things up at 5-5. Hart put down two kills in the stretch, while Ehlers landed a deep kill as well. A block by Hart and Fisher tied the score at 6-6, before the Bearcats pulled away to a 12-9 advantage. Fisher and Turner pounded down kills and combined on a block to knot the score at 12. The teams tied again at 13, but Cincinnati pushed the margin to four at 18-14 after a block and an ace. A pair of Turner putaways and an ace by Fisher cut the score to 19-17. UC closed out the set with a 6-3 run. The final point came on a solo block by Niemer.
The Boilermakers (9-2) return to action at 7 p.m. Wednesday when they take on the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, live on the Big Ten Network.