WVU Mountaineer Sports: Basketball | Football | News |Volleyball: WVU Suffers Loss to Cincinnati

The West Virginia University volleyball team lost to Cincinnati 3-0 (19-25, 20-25, 20-25) this afternoon at Fifth Third Arena.

            The Mountaineers (5-15, 3-6) struggled as the Bearcats (16-8, 7-2) recorded 46 kills and a .259 hitting percentage. 

            "When we came out, we had one of our best offensive sets of the season," coach Jill Kramer says. ‘We came out on fire and Kari (Post) distributed the ball really well, but we didn't have our serving and passing game together. In the second set, we got our serving and passing going and then our offense backed off a little bit. We didn't really get to a point where we had both clicking at the same time. The girls gave a great effort at the end, but it was not enough to get it done."

            The first set was controlled by Cincinnati before a 3-0 run by the Mountaineers pulled the team within three at 13-10. Despite hitting a season-high .360 in the first set, the Mountaineers could not overcome the early deficit and lost the set 25-19.

            The teams battled back and forth in the second set before a 3-0 run by the Bearcats put Cincinnati up 12-7. The Mountaineers slowly put themselves back into the game with kills from senior outside hitter Michelle Kopecky and a service ace from senior setter Kari Post and tied the match at 18-18. The Bearcats used errors by the Mountaineers and a strong offense to go on a 7-2 run to end the second set and take a two set lead in the match.

            Using the momentum from set two, Cincinnati started set three with a 6-1 lead. The Bearcats kept the Mountaineers at a five point distance until a kill from junior outside hitter Anke de Jong started a 4-0 run to pull WVU within three at 23-20. Cincinnati would not let the match slip away and recorded two straight kills to end the set and the match.

            Kopecky led WVU with 10 kills and a .409 hitting percentage while senior libero Serinna Russo led the defense with 17 digs.  

"All in all over the weekend, we played two of the best teams in the league and we are only going to get better from that," Kramer says. "We definitely improved over the weekend and excited to go back on our home court and play Syracuse and Marquette next weekend."

            The Mountaineers will return to action next weekend at the WVU Coliseum where it will take on Syracuse and Marquette. WVU will face Syracuse Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. followed by Marquette on Oct. 30 at 2 p.m.