Cincinnati Volleyball Prepares for Big 12 Test at UCF
ORLANDO, Fla.- The University of Cincinnati volleyball team opens Big 12 Conference play Wednesday against UCF, continuing a rivalry that dates back to 1978. Cincinnati is coming off a strong non-conference showing, highlighted by a recent series sweep of UCF and standout performances at the Ball State Tournament.
Head coach Danijela Tomić reached a milestone this season,earning her 400th career victory on September 20th with a 3-1 win over Illinois State. Tomić is now one of 47 Division I coaches to achieve this feat. The Bearcats and Knights both transitioned from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 in 2023, adding a new layer to their longstanding competition. UCF currently leads the overall series 18-10, but Cincinnati has won the last two matchups.
Several Bearcats are approaching career milestones. Senior outside hitter Carly Glendinning is three blocks shy of 150 for her career, while junior outside hitter Sydney Nolan is poised to surpass 600 career kills, currently holding 597.
At the Ball State Tournament, sophomore Lilly Gillespie recorded a career-high 27 digs against Ball State on September 18th, with 14 coming in the frist two sets. Fellow sophomore Gretchen Sigman followed with a career-best 20 kills against Eastern Kentucky the following day, her fourth double-digit kill performance of the season.
Sophomore transfer Andi Spies has consistently led the Bearcats’ offense, recording 30+ assists in eight consecutive matches. She dished out 44 assists against Ball State and 47 against Eastern Kentucky, and has achieved a double-double (assists and digs) in three matches this season. Spies’ career-high of 55 assists came during her time at Middle Tennessee against Louisiana Tech on October 24th.
