The Bowling Green volleyball team (1-2) suffered their second straight three-set loss on Sunday afternoon, falling to Cincinnati (2-1) in the final match of the Best Western Invitational at the Stroh Center, just a day removed from a straight-set loss to Illinois on Saturday night.
The Bearcats led Bowling Green in nearly every major statistical category, besting the Falcons in kills (37 to 27), hitting percentage (.279 to .032), assists (36 to 26), service aces (nine to four), digs (33 to 27) and total team blocks (15 to two).
“It’s definitely not the outcome that we wanted,” BGSU head coach Danijela Tomic said postgame. “Nobody likes to lose, but we got outplayed; there’s not one category that I can say we did better than Cincinnati, and this was a good humble pie we were served here on the home court.”
Here’s how the match played out:
First Set
The Falcons came out of the gates with the energy advantage, controlling much of a very competitive first set.
Bowling Green scored the first two points of the match and jumped out to an early 6-2 lead. However, Cincinnati responded with a 5-1 run, tying the score at seven apiece.
BG immediately answered back with another run, scoring five straight points.
Nevertheless, the Bearcats would tie the set at 17 apiece after a 6-1 run, highlighted by three attack errors by junior opposite hitter Lauryn Hovey.
Although the Falcons would regain a 21-18 lead, UC took all the momentum in the first set’s homestretch.
The Bearcats would take their first lead of the match by scoring five straight points, capped off by back-to-back attack errors by BG senior outside hitter Mia Tyler, 23-21.
Cincinnati would win the first set 25-22 on a kill by junior outside hitter Carly Glendinning.
Second Set
Following an extremely competitive first set, Cincinnati asserted their dominance in the second.
“We were outcompeted; we started being competitive and then, I think, lost a little bit of conviction, which is something we need to work on,” graduate defensive specialist Lindsey LaPinta said postgame.
The Bearcats carried over their momentum from the first set, jumping out to an early 6-2 lead.
The Falcons would cut UC’s lead to 7-5, courtesy of a service ace by junior opposite hitter Lauryn Hovey, the 90th of her career, moving her into a tie for seventh most in BGSU’s rally-scoring era (2001-present).
BG continued to chip away at Cincinnati’s lead, tying the set at 10 apiece.
However, it would be all Bearcats for the rest of the set. They ultimately ended on a dominant 11-2 run, winning 25-14 and taking a commanding two-set lead.
Third Set
With their backs against the wall, the Orange and Brown tried to kickstart a comeback, racing out to a five-point lead in the third set, capped by three straight kills between Hovey and fifth-year middle blocker Alexis Mettille, 11-6.
However, the Bearcats quickly responded with a 5-0 run, tying the score at 11 apiece.
Although the Falcons tried to keep pace with UC and regain momentum, it was all Cincinnati from this point on.
UC closed the match on a dominant 12-3 run, winning the final set 25-18.
Cincinnati senior middle blocker/right-side hitter Abby Walker bullied the Falcons, tallying a match-high 12 kills and nine blocks.
UC sophomore outside hitter Sydney Nolan racked up a match-high 13 digs and four service aces, while the Bearcat’s senior setter Katelyn Lefler led both teams with 30 assists.
Tyler led the Falcons with eight kills, while freshman setter Anna Sitek led the Orange and Brown with 11 assists. Sitek also recorded her first collegiate kill and first three collegiate digs.
Junior middle blocker Jessica Andrews recorded her 200th collegiate block, while redshirt sophomore defensive specialist Isabella Laube finished with a career-high five digs and notched her first two career assists.
Hovey and LaPinta tied for the team-high with six digs. However, Hovey did not have the most efficient game.
She recorded just six kills on 21 total attacks while tallying eight attack errors, resulting in a -.095 hitting percentage. The performance marks Hovey’s seventh-lowest kill total and third-lowest hitting percentage of her collegiate career.
Although the Falcons are facing early-season adversity, Tomic believes it will help the team in the long run.
“Do we want to be beat Cincinnati, Illinois and everybody on our schedule? Of course we do. Is that realistic? No, it’s not realistic right now,” Tomic said. “Our goal is to be the best prepared team when we enter the MAC, and then playing the best volleyball in the MAC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. This was a really good lesson for us that I think is going to make us better.”
Next, the Orange and Brown will have a few days off before beginning action in the Tru by Hilton Dayton Beavercreek Invitational. The Falcons will battle the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) on Friday, Dayton on Saturday and Wright State on Sunday, with all matches beginning at 3 p.m. at the C.J. McLin Gymnasium in Dayton, Ohio.
