Temple Closes the Curtains on Their Season after Being Swept by Cincinnati
Written by: Adrian Maghacot
Photo by: Temple Athletics
Temple (10-21, 4-16 AAC) ends their season on a low note after losing to Cincinnati (11-19, 9-11 AAC), their third-consecutive loss by sweep.
Compared to the last time these two teams played against each other in October at McGonigle Hall, this matchup was not close, and Cincinnati was dominant in all three sets.
The first two sets had a point differential of at least eight. This is the first time Temple lost two consecutive sets by at least eight points since facing No. 23 UCF October 14.
Temple started off strong early in the first set, being up 7-1 with most of the action coming from redshirt senior right-side hitter Peyton Boyd. However, the momentum shifted where Cincinnati went on an eight-point run after numerous attack errors from the Owls. The Bearcats did not look back and took the first set.
The second set was similar to the first one, but Cincinnati was the one that started off well with a 4-0 run and did not trail. The Owls struggled to put points on the board while Cincinnati continued to fire on all cylinders until the set ended with a nine-point difference.
While Cincinnati did start off strong in set three, Temple had a five-point run of their own thanks to Boyd and junior outside hitter Jelena Prolic. It was a grudge match as there were eight times where both teams were tied, but Cincinnati sophomore outside hitter Shaye Eggleston had a kill and service ace to secure the sweep.
While the Owls struggled getting momentum offensively, their defensive play was productive. Boyd, Prolic, and freshman middle blocker Samantha Jo Mikosky combined for 14 blocks. The total of four blocks is tied for Prolic’s season high in blocks in a game.
Sophomore middle blocker Abby Walker led Cincinnati with 12 kills. Senior libero Payton Fredrick had a productive day as she led the team in digs with 19. She also surpassed 1,400 career digs during the win.
With the announcement of UCF, Houston, Cincinnati leaving the American in 2023, the Owls will not face them in conference play starting next season. Those three teams all swept the Owls at least once during the season.
Score by set: (17-25), (16-25), (22-25)
