Miami Takes Down Rival Cincinnati in Five Sets

Saturday, August 25

Oxford, Ohio

7:30 p.m. ET

Miami University

2-1

Cincinnati

2-1

Cincinnati

Miami

Miami Takes Down Rival Cincinnati in Five Sets

8/25/2018 11:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Cincinnati Box (PDF)

Kukoc and Payne named to Best Western Sycamore Inn All-Tournament Team

OXFORD, Ohio – Showing grit and determination defying the team's youth, the Miami University volleyball team knocked off Cincinnati 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-12) to close play at the Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational. The RedHawks improve to 2-1 on the season, while the Bearcats fall to 2-1.

With Miami, Cincinnati and UC Santa Barbara each finishing the tournament with identical 2-1 records, tiebreakers were needed to determine the champion. The first tiebreaker was total sets won over the weekend. All three teams won eight sets. The second tiebreaker was total point differential for the weekend. UC Santa Barbara outscored its opponents by 19 points total, while Miami had an 18 point differential and Cincinnati 16. So by one point the Gauchos were the 2018 Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational champions with the RedHawks coming in second.

Senior outside hitter Stela Kukoc and junior middle hitter Margaret Payne were each named to the All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend. Payne led Miami with 35 kills on the weekend, an average of 2.69 kills per set. She made only seven attack errors in 66 total attempts for a hitting percentage of .424. She also led Miami with nine total blocks. Kukoc finished with 26 kills, an average of 2.00 kills per set. She also had 34 digs, an average of 2.62 per set.

In the match versus Cincinnati, the RedHawks fell behind 1-4 early in set one. A kill by Payne and a block from freshman middle hitter Corinne Jemison and freshman Gaby Harper started a 7-3 run that gave Miami an 8-7 lead. Kukoc put down two kills, while Harper and junior right side hitter Haley Stewart each had one as the score remained within one point over the next part of the set. Tied at 15, UC went on a 3-0 run to take control, but a 4-1 answer by the 'Hawks tied it at 19. Trailing 20-22, a kill from Payne, a setting error by Cincinnati, a kill from Harper off an assist from sophomore setter Morgan Seaman and a service ace by Stewart gave Miami set point. The Bearcats fought it off once, but a kill from Payne finished off a 25-23 win.

Set two started off strongly for the RedHawks as Payne put down two kills, while Jemison and sophomore outside hitter Sarah Wojick teamed up for two blocks to build a 5-2 lead. The Bearcats would tie the score at seven before Miami pushed it back to two and 10-8 after a Kukoc service ace. Cincinnati followed with a 10-5 run to go in front 18-15. The Red and White would get as close as two points but the Bearcats were able to finish off a 25-21 victory.

A slow start for Miami would end up costing it in set three. UC jumped to a 9-3 lead forcing an early RedHawk timeout. Out of the break Wojick put down a pair of kills, but the teams continued to trade side outs. In front 15-10, Cincinnati went on a 6-3 run that put it in control at 21-13. That proved to be enough as the Bearcats took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-15 win.

With their backs against the wall the RedHawks came out on the attack in set four. A service ace by Kukoc and a kill from Stewart, along with several UC attack errors gave Miami a 7-2 lead. The Bearcats fought back to tie the score with the next five points, but Harper would give the advantage back to Miami with two straight service aces. A kill from Payne and a service ace by Kukoc forced a Cincinnati timeout at 17-12, but out of the break back-to-back kills from Harper and Payne gave the 'Hawks their largest lead at 19-12. The Bearcats did not give up, going on a 9-4 run to close within two at 21-23. Miami answered with a kill by senior middle hitter Courtney Simons off an assist from freshman setter Jennifer Schulze to get set point, and it finished off the 25-21 victory with a kill from Stewart.

Trailing 1-2 in the decisive fifth set, two kills from Payne and one from Harper were part of a 4-0 run that forced a UC timeout. The Bearcats were able to close within one at 6-7 before a kill by Simons got Miami's offense going again. Two kills from Kukoc pushed the 'Hawks advantage to 11-8. Cincinnati scored the next two to make it 10-11 and force a MU timeout. Out of the break, Stewart put down the kill to get the side out. The teams traded side outs for the next six points, ending with a Payne kill that gave Miami match point. On the next point Wojick was able to put it down after a long rally giving the RedHawks a 15-12 win and a 3-2 victory in the match.

Payne finished with 14 kills for the match and a .480 attack percentage. Wojick also had double-digit kills with 11, finishing with a .600 attack percentage. Stewart and Kukoc each had eight kills. Kukoc also contributed 14 digs. Seaman had a double-double with 23 assists and a team-high 18 digs. Schulze was right behind her with 22 assists. Jemison led Miami with five blocks.

The RedHawks hit the road for the first time this season when they travel to Carbondale, Illinois next weekend for the Saluki Invitational. On Friday, Miami will take on Murray State at 2 p.m. (EDT) and host Southern Illinois at 8 p.m. (EDT). The Red and White will close out play on Saturday against Alabama A&M at 1 p.m. (EDT).