Set 1
Playing to an 11-11 tie to open the match, kills by Davis and Kemavor fueled a 3-0 BYU run that put the Cougars in front and had them ahead 15-13 at the media timeout.
After Callahan scored on the right side, Davis put down a back row hammer, forcing a Cincinnati timeout at 19-16. BYU took a timeout of its own two points later with its lead cut to one.
Little Chambers went cross-court for a kill, but the Bearcats scored three straight, forcing the Cougars’ second timeout. Following ties at 22, 23 and 24, three of 12 ties in the frame, Cincinnati finished off the first set, 26-24.
Set 2
The second set began in similar fashion, with seven ties and two lead changes but BYU took a timeout trailing by three after a 4-1 UC span, at 11-8. Davis then scored down the line and off the block to draw within one, at 12-11.
A solo stuff from Kemavor paced a 5-0 Cougar run and 7-1 span that benefitted from four Cincinnati errors, putting BYU in front 16-13 after a Bearcat timeout.
Kemavor scored from the right side, Davis landed out of the back row again, Callahan placed a pair of kills through the UC block and Davis scored on a tip, forcing the Bearcats second timeout.
Trading errors out of the timeout, two quick hitters for Kemavor earn a 25-19 second set win for the Cougars, evening the the match at one set apiece.
Set 3
BYU raced out to an 8-3 lead in the third, backed by a 4-0 run fueled by a Little Chambers-Kemavor double block and Davis ace. After a Bower dump kill and Little Chambers kill, the Cougars led 10-7.
Little Chambers scored down the line before Elli Mortensen dropped in a pair of aces to cap off a 3-0 run. Abby Hoybjerg got on the board, while Davis and Little Chambers paced BYU to a five-point advantage, forcing UC’s second timeout at 18-13.
A 4-0 run on a pair of Little Chambers kills put the Cougars in closing position at 23-16, but an 8-0 Cincinnati run that spanned both BYU timeouts put the Bearcats up 24-23.
Fighting off two UC set points, a Davis kill made way for a Callahan OPK before Davis closed things out off the block, 27-25, giving the Cougars a 2-1 lead in the match.
Set 4
BYU got blocks by Kemavor and Davis as well as Bower and Hoybjerg as the fourth frame saw a 7-7 tie, but the Bearcats took a 12-9 advantage, forcing the Cougars’ first timeout.
Davis scored off the blocks and Kemavor put down a quick hitter before combining with Bower for a double block as the Cougars clawed back. BYU got within one on kills by Kemavor and Little Chambers, but called timeout trailing 19-16.
The Cougars drew within one again after kills by Callahan and Little Chambers and Cincinnati called timeout. BYU tied the set at 21, 22 and 23 before consecutive Davis kills forced the Bearcats’ second timeout at match point.
UC fought off match point once, but a Kemavor quick hitter put the Cougars back in position, finishing things off on a Cincinnati attack error, 26-24.
Up Next
BYU will complete its East Coast swing at West Virginia on Friday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. EDT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.
