Marquette Volleyball Falls to Cincinnati, 3-0

Oct. 26, 2008

MILWAUKEE -- The Marquette women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to the Cincinnati Bearcats Sunday at the Al McGuire Center.

"Cincinnati was the stronger team today," said head coach Pati Rolf. "We really needed to push them harder. We pushed too hard with our hitting and couldn't get it back together when things weren't going our way."

Marquette opened the scoring in the match's first set with consecutive kills from Katie Vancura and Rabbecka Gonyo to put the Golden Eagles up 2-0. With the Bearcats leading 8-6, MU scored seven of the next eight points to go up 13-9. After a Cincinnati timeout, the Bearcats reeled off a 16-2 run, including the set's final 10 points to take the frame, 25-15.

In the second stanza, Cincinnati shot out to a 4-1 lead and would never trail in the set. Marquette used two timeouts with the set at 18-13 and 20-13 before taking four of the next five points to pull within four at 21-17. The Bearcats then closed out the scoring to win, 25-18. Gonyo and Vancura each had three kills in the second set.

Cincinnati got out to a 3-0 lead in the third and built a 7-4 lead before MU responded to tie the set at 7-7 on kills from Tiara Russell, Caryn Mastandrea and Leslie Bielski. Marquette pushed its lead to 12-9 on another kill from Bielski, following a Cincinnati timeout. The Golden Eagles took another three-point lead at 17-14 on a kill from freshman outside hitter Ciara Jones before Cincinnati tied the set at 19-19. Marquette led 20-19 after a Bearcats' service error, but Cincinnati would respond to take the set and the match, 25-23. Jones registered three kills in limited action in the third set.

"We are seeing really good things out of Ciara Jones, really coming in and being able to handle things," said Rolf. "Our outside hitters were really struggling today. We have an outside hitter-generated offense and when we aren't doing well there, we are in trouble."

Bielski led the way for Marquette (8-13, 2-6 BIG EAST) with 10 kills, while Mastandrea gave 27 assists and Amy Deelo recorded 14 digs. For the Bearcats (20-5, 7-2 BIG EAST), Jessica Elley had 13 kills and Jessie Nevitt had 12.

The Golden Eagles return to action Sat., Nov. 1 at 2 p.m., at DePaul before making the short trip to Notre Dame for a match on Nov. 2 at 1 p.m.