This afternoon, the Cincinnati Bearcats (12-14, 5-11 Big 12) welcome in 15th ranked Kansas (21-5, 12-4 Big 12) to Fifth Third Arena in their first ever matchup between these two historic programs. The Bearcats are looking to rebound following a tough 5 set loss to Oklahoma on Saturday night with an opportunity to finish the season at the .500% mark.
The Bearcats would be without outside hitters Shaye Egglestone and Jadyn Bauss who both recover from injuries, but Abby Walker and Zeta Washington would look to continue to lead the Bearcats at the net. Walker with 31 kills and just one error in the two-game series vs the Sooners over the weekend and will look to continue to be a driving force for the Bearcats at the net.
Final Stats
Ayah Elnady and Reagan Cooper each recorded 15 kills for the Jayhawks as the experienced duo showed why they are one of the top duos in all of college volleyball.
Carly Glendinning led the Bearcats with a team high 10 kills and seven digs, as the sophomore outside has continued to step in and play a key role for the Bearcats on the outside after losing Bauss and Egglestone due to injuries.
Ligia Williams had a huge day as the redshirt sophomore finished with nine kills on a .444% clip. Williams also recorded a team high three blocks including two huge solo blocks for the Bearcats that sparked some big momentum throughout the match.
Abby Walker also recorded seven kills, while Zeta Washington recorded six kills. Katelyn Lefler led the Bearcats with 34 assists as she controlled the Bearcats offense, while Kayla Hostetler anchored the Bearcats back line with a team high 13 digs.
How it happened
Set 1- The Jayhawks would take an early 9-4 lead over the Bearcats as they were firing on all cylinders early after the Bearcats recorded four kills from Abby Walker and Zeta Washington. The Jayhawks net presence gave the Bearcats some struggles early as the Jayhawks recorded three blocks in the first segment forcing a Bearcats timeout. The Bearcats would trim the Jayhawks lead to two, trailing 12-10 following a consecutive kill from Ligia Williams that provided the Bearcats with a huge spark of momentum early.
The Bearcats would rally back after the Jayhawks took a 17-12 lead. The Bearcats then responded with a momentum changing 6-0 run to take a 18-17 lead over the Jayhawks. Katelyn Lefler continued to control the offense for the Bearcats making sure the Bearcats switched up the tempo on the Jayhawks early. Kansas would claw back and take a 24-21 lead before Elissa Alcantara and Carly Glendinning rattled off consecutive kills to make this a 24-23 game. The Jayhawks would finish strong and defeat the Bearcats 25-23 taking an early 1-0 lead over the Bearcats.
Set 2- The Jayhawks would take an early 5-1 lead before Abby Walker recorded her fifth kill of the match in efforts to flip the momentum for the Bearcats. The Jayhawks would just dominate the Bearcats at the net after consecutive solo blocks made this a 11-4 lead in favor of the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks kept their foot on the gas after their early lead as they defeated the Bearcats 25-14 to take a 2-0 lead over the Bearcats after finishing the set with five unanswered.
Set 3- The Bearcats responded with a 4-1 run to start set three following consecutive solo blocks from Williams, and a Washington kill that gave the Bearcats early momentum. Kansas would rally right back with consecutive kills from Ayah Elnady and Reagan Cooper that tied the set at 4. The Jayhawks would extend their lead to 9-7 following three unanswered points as they looked to open this one up again here in the third set. The Bearcats tied the set at 11 following a huge service ace from Carly Skrabak.
The Bearcats took a 16-13 lead before the Jayhawks responded with a 4-point swing to take a 17-16 lead over the Bearcats midway through the set. The Bearcats would then put their foot on the gas taking a 21-20 lead following a huge block from Williams and Glendinning, forcing a Kansas timeout. The Jayhawks would end the match on a 4-0 run to seal the match 3 sets to zero.
Up Next
The Bearcats will travel to Ames, Iowa to take on the Iowa State Cyclones this Saturday at 3 pm as they look to finish the season in the win column to wrap up their 2023 season.
