Molly Metres
Director, Strategic Brand Engagement
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BYUTV: Pitt | BYUTV: BYU | BYUTV: Utah State
CINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati volleyball team will compete in the BYU Nike Invitational on Friday and Saturday at the Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, Utah.
The Bearcats (1-2) open the weekend against No. 10 Pitt at noon ET Friday. UC will then take on No. 7 BYU at 9 pm ET Friday night.
Cincinnati concludes the tournament on Saturday against (RV) Utah State. First serve is scheduled for 6 pm ET.
UC’s matches will be streamed on BYUtv.org and can be followed via live stats.
// FREDERICK, WALKER EARN AAC WEEKLY HONOR ROLL RECOGNITION
Payton Frederick and Abby Walker were named to the American Athletic Conference weekly honor roll for their performances at the Tribute to #10 tournament. Frederick, a senior libero from Lexington, Ky., hit the 1,000-career digs milestone last weekend as she totaled 50 digs in three matches. In UC’s 3-1 win over Florida State, she had 15 digs, including six digs in the decisive fourth set. In total, she averaged 3.85 digs, 0.62 assists and 0.31 aces per set. Walker, a sophomore middle blocker from Cambridge, Ohio, finished the weekend with an all-around performance, averaging 3.15 kills and 1.23 blocks per set while hitting at a clip of .303. She led the Bearcats in kills in all three matches and registered a career-high eight blocks against Dayton.
// WELCOME TO THE BLOCK PARTY
The Bearcats registered 16 total blocks, 32 blocks assists, against Dayton. It marked their most blocks in a single match since the 2016 season when the Bearcats totaled 18 blocks against Middle Tennessee (Aug. 27). UC set a four-set school record with 36 block assists in the match. Walker and Williams each posted a career-best eight blocks in the match to lead the defensive effort. In 2021, the Bearcats ranked last in the AAC in blocks per set, averaging just 1.62 blocks per set. They are currently averaging 2.31 blocks per set in 2022 – good for second in the AAC. Walker posted 30 blocks in three matches, marking the most blocks in the AAC and 46th-most in the country so far this season.
// YOUNG BUT READY
UC’s freshman class, featuring four true freshmen and one redshirt freshman, saw significant playing time in the season-opening tournament. Caroline Endres and Paige Pickering played in all 13 sets while Ligia Williams and Carly Glendinning played in all but one set. Avry Tatum made two starts in 11 sets of action as well. Sophomore Abby Walker appeared in all 13 sets, leading the team in kills per set (3.15), blocks per set (1.23) and hitting percentage (.303). Fellow sophomore Shaye Eggleston, who made her first two career starts as a Bearcat, added 2.44 digs per set. She came up big for the Bearcats in their 3-1 win over FSU, posting seven kills and eight digs.
// 1,000-DIGS CLUB’S NEWEST MEMBER
Senior libero Payton Frederick surpassed 1,000 career digs against Dayton on Aug. 26. With her first dig of the match, she reached the 1,000-dig mark. She totaled 50 digs in three matches last weekend. She now sits at 1,031 digs in her career, with 633 coming as a Bearcat. She posted 398 digs as a freshman at Western Kentucky.
// WEEKEND REWIND
Cincinnati went 1-2 at its season-opening tournament, falling to Illinois State, 3-2, and Dayton, 3-1, before picking up a win over then-RV Florida State, 3-1. Redshirt senior Kailea Carrier had a strong performance in UC’s 3-1 win over FSU. She recorded 11 kills at a .318 clip to go along with a team-high five blocks. She averaged 1.67 kills and 1.00 blocks per set over the weekend. Glendinning averaged nearly two kills per set (1.92) to go along with 1.75 digs per set. She registered her first career double-double vs. Illinois State with 12 kills and 11 digs.
// SERIES HISTORY
Cincinnati and BYU, future Big 12 opponents, will be meeting for the first time in program history. UC is 10-9 all time against Pitt. The two teams last met at the 2019 NCAA Tournament Second Round. The Bearcats took down the Panthers in five sets to advance to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance. Cincinnati and Utah State have met one time in program annals. The Aggies won the lone meeting in five sets on Sept. 7, 2001.
// UP NEXT
Cincinnati will face South Carolina for a pair of matches on Sept. 9-10 in Columbia, SC
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