Sept. 10, 2002
Bowling Green, Ky. - Amanda Schiff (So., Indianapolis, Ind.) and Cynda Derbort (Jr., Maroa, Ill.) each finished with double-digit kills and had career-best hitting percentages as the Western Kentucky volleyball team won its home opener 3-0 over defending Conference USA champion Cincinnati Tuesday night. It was WKU's first win over the Bearcats since leaving Cincinnati with a 3-2 win on Sept. 20, 1991.
The Lady Toppers (9-1) got off to a quick start in game one, jumping out to a four-point lead (12-8) on one of Schiff's eight kills in the opener. The Bearcats (2-4) were able to hold tight, however, until WKU used a 5-2 spurt to go ahead 28-19 on a kill from Crystal Towler (Fr., Sussex, Wis.). A Derbort kill ended game one, giving the Lady Toppers a 30-21 victory. WKU hit .500 in the first game, and equaled a season-best with 25 kills.
Cincinnati regrouped during the break and moved out to a 10-6 lead in the second game thanks mostly to the work of Julie DuPont who recorded three kills and a service ace during the stretch. Western was able to battle back to even the game at 16-16 on a Towler and Derbort block assist, but the Bearcats took the next two points to regain the advantage. A Towler service ace again evened the score, this time at 18-18, and was the first of four unanswered Lady Topper points that put them in front 21-18 on a Jessie Wagner (Fr., Franklin, Ind.) kill. UC was able to pull back within a point when a DuPont kill made it 27-26, but the Lady Toppers scored three of the next four to go ahead 2-0 in the match with a 30-27 win.
The Bearcats again jumped out to an early advantage in the third game before Western battled back to even the game at 10-10 on a Derbort service ace. The two teams went back and forth until a UC error and back-to-back Derbort kills gave WKU at 23-20 lead. Western got to match point when another Derbort kill made it 29-24, but Cincinnati scored the next two points before Derbort knocked down her 16th and final kill of the match to give WKU a 30-27 victory and a 3-0 win in the match.
Derbort lead Western with a career-high 17 kills and .625 hitting percentage. Schiff finished with 16 kills and hit a career-best .750, a percentage that ranks second in school history.
Western will head back on the road this weekend to compete in the Western Illinois Tournament in Macomb, Ill. The Lady Toppers will face off with Eastern Michigan and Iowa on Friday, before taking on Northwestern State and Western Illinois on Saturday.
-- WKU --
