Mountaineers Down Cincinnati in Four Sets Friday Evening

Friday, October 16

Morgantown, W.Va.

6 p.m.

West Virginia University

10-7,3-4Big 12

Cincinnati

8-8,1-5Big 12

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Cincinnati	21	14	29	19	1
West Virginia	25	25	27	25	3

WVU Volleyball team sings Country Roads after defeating Cincinnati in four sets on Oct. 16

Mountaineers Down Cincinnati in Four Sets Friday Evening

October 16, 2026 09:55 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Season Stats

By: Farris Murad

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The West Virginia University volleyball team (10-7, 3-4 Big 12) defeated Cincinnati, 3-1, on Friday evening at Hope Coliseum, earning its first victory over the Bearcats since 2023 by set scores of 25-21, 25-14, 27-29 and 25-19.

The Mountaineers hit a season-best .366 as a team and recorded 64 kills while holding the Bearcats (8-8, 1-5 Big 12) to a .225 hitting percentage. WVU also finished with eight total blocks and seven service aces.

Senior outside hitter Nina Horning led the way for the Mountaineers with 16 kills and an ace for her team-leading 17 points. Sophomore right side Anna Barr followed with 12 kills on 21 attempts, hitting .476. Freshman outside hitter Macie Smith also reached double figures with 14 kills on a .323 clip.

Senior middle blocker Maddy McGath recorded nine kills on 15 swings for a .533 hitting percentage. Freshman middle blocker Cami Huff contributed season highs of five kills and six blocks.

Senior setter Alexis Finnvold paced the offense with 30 assists, while freshman defensive specialist/libero Reagan Turk led the defensive effort with 22 digs. Freshman setter Lauren Duncan recorded her third match of the season with three aces and has tallied at least two aces in nine contests.

WVU opened the match with a 25-21 victory in the first set. The Mountaineers used a late push to create separation, turning a 19-19 tie into a 24-19 advantage. Smith recorded six kills in the opening frame, while senior opposite Trinity Sheridan tallied three. Barr and McGath added two kills apiece.

The Mountaineers carried that momentum into the second set, racing to a 7-1 lead behind a strong serving stretch from Turk and three straight kills from Horning. WVU maintained control throughout the frame, building its advantage to 18-9 before closing out the set, 25-14. The Mountaineers hit .324 in the second set while limiting Cincinnati to a .073 mark.

Cincinnati responded in the third set, overcoming a late WVU lead to take a 29-27 decision. The Mountaineers led 21-18 before the Bearcats rallied to move ahead, 22-21. WVU fought off multiple set points and evened the score at 27, marking the set's 12th tie, but Cincinnati claimed the final two points to extend the match.

West Virginia regrouped in the fourth set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead behind McGath's serving run and a pair of Bearcat attack errors. The Mountaineers continued to apply pressure, extending the advantage to 11-3 and later 18-12. WVU closed out the set, 25-19, to secure the four-set victory.

The Mountaineers finished with a .400 hitting percentage in the fourth set, their best mark of the match, while holding Cincinnati to .156. WVU also totaled 61 digs and 14 block assists in the contest.

WVU has now reached 10 wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2020 and 2021 and is now 2-0 in the annual Coal Rush match.

West Virginia is now 4-17 all-time against Cincinnati. WVU head coach Jen Greeny earned her first career victory over the Bearcats, improving to 1-4 against Cincinnati.

The Mountaineers travel to Orlando, Florida, on Sunday, Oct. 18, to take on UCF at The Venue. First serve is set for 1 p.m. ET.

For more information on the Mountaineers, follow @WVUVolleyball on Facebook, Instagram and X.