Today the Bearcats volleyball team welcomed Tulane to Fifth Third Arena, as they were looking to bounce back in the win column after a tough 2 game skid versus Wichita State and Houston. The Bearcats are coming into todays match with a 11-6 overall record, (6-3 AAC). They welcome a Tulane team that is currently 13-8, (6-3 AAC). Both teams coming in at 6-3 in the American Athletic Conference are battling for 3rd place in the conference, looking to make a run late in the season.
The Starters for the Bearcats match vs Tulane where the following seven players, Abby Walker, Alex Kwasnik, Emme Madden, Maria Mallon, Payton Frederick, Kailea Carrier, Molly Harrison.
Set 1- The Bearcats started with a big solo block from Kailea Carrier to give the Bearcats the first point of the match. The Bearcats were finding momentum early after back to back kills from Abby Walker, gave the Bearcats a 4-2 lead over Tulane. The Bearcats jumped out to a 8-5 lead after back to back kills from Emme Madden and Kailea Carrier, as the Bearcats were finding ways to put points on the board. Tulane was forced to call an early timeout trailing 11-6, as they were in the midst of a 3 point run following a kill from Carrier, block by Sarah Norcom, then a kill from Sarah Norcom. The Bearcats extended their early lead to 6, after taking a 16-10 lead following back to back kills from Abby Walker. The Bearcats took a timeout after the Green Wave rallied back to cut the lead to 3 when they trailed 20-17, but the momentum was favoring Tulane, Coach Alvey called a timeout to flip the momentum, which resulted in a kill by Kailea Carrier. Tulane keep the momentum and went on a 3 point run to cut the lead to 21-20 favoring the Bearcats, before rallying back to tie this set at 22. The Bearcats jumped out to take a 24-23 lead after Tulane took their first lead of match, The Bearcats got back to back kills from Maria Mallon, and Sarah Norcom to take a 24-23 lead. The Bearcats held on to take set 1 with a big 26-24 win, after a huge solo block from Emme Madden to finish the set. Abby Walker finished the set with 7 kills for the Bearcats as the middles as Emme Madden was really utilizing the middles here as Walker and Kailea Carrier combined for 12 kills in Set 1.
Set 2- Shannon Williams started the scoring for the Bearcats, as she recorded her first kill of the match. This match went back and forth, as it was tied at 6, before the Green Wave took a 8-6 lead, before a big kill from Alex Kwasnik, that started a small run to allow the Bearcats to tie this set at 8. However, Tulane went on a 3 point run, following a kill from Lexi Douglas, and consecutive service aces, Coach Alvey and the Bearcats were forced to call a timeout trailing 11-8. Tulane continued the momentum as they jumped out to a 14-9 lead before the Bearcats got a huge side out, after a kill from Maria Mallon, but the Bearcats couldn’t keep the momentum in their favor as Tulane came right back with a side out of their own. The Bearcats were slowly chipping away at the Green Wave’s lead, as they trailed 19-15 late in Set 2. The Bearcats used their final timeout of the set, after a Tulane run late to take a 21-15 lead over the Bearcats, as they were looking to stop the run and create a big one of their own coming out of the timeout. The Bearcats swung all the momentum their way following the time out, as Tulane had a few errors, and a kill by Kwasnik and Carrier and the Bearcats rallied off 5 points just like that to cut the lead to 21-20. Shannon Williams had a tremendous save to extend the rally that resulted in a kill from Alex Kwasnik. The Bearcats found their groove as Maria Mallon had a big kill off the block that ended about 6 rows up in the stands to tie this set up at 22. Mallon followed right back with another kill of her own, before Tulane took a 24-23 lead. The Bearcats took a 25-24 lead, following a Green Wave attacking error, and a huge kill from Maria Mallon. The Bearcats finished it off with a Mallon kill to end the set on a 3 point run to take Set 2, 26-24.
