Cincinnati athletics had a busy week across the fall sports calendar, with the Bearcats competing in football, basketball, baseball, golf, swimming and diving, cross country, soccer and volleyball. The week featured a strong finish to fall baseball, a productive start to Big 12 Match Play for men’s golf, and several individual performances worth highlighting. Cincinnati also faced tough competition on the football field, the basketball court and the soccer pitch.
Baseball
The Cincinnati baseball team wrapped up its fall exhibition schedule with a 9-4 win over Xavier on Saturday. The Bearcats and Musketeers played nine innings before taking a short break and returning to the field for seven more innings. Cincinnati finished the fall with a perfect 4-0 record against Purdue, Kentucky, Dayton and Xavier. The Bearcats outscored those four opponents 50-29 across 61 innings, giving the team plenty of positives to carry into the offseason as it prepares for the spring campaign.
Men’s Basketball
Cincinnati opened its exhibition schedule against Illinois on Saturday at Fifth Third Arena, but the Bearcats couldn’t keep pace with the Fighting Illini in a 105-96 loss. Despite the defeat, Cincinnati put up 96 points against one of the nation’s top teams and had several positives worth noting. The exhibition offered an early look at how the Bearcats might perform against high-level competition ahead of the regular season.
Want a closer look at the matchup? You can check out my full recap article for more on Cincinnati’s performance against Illinois.
Football
The Bearcats traveled to Morgantown to face West Virginia on Saturday and came up just short in a wild 45-42 loss. Cincinnati piled up 622 yards of total offense, but the Mountaineers found a way to pull ahead with a late field goal. The result overshadowed a productive day for the Bearcats’ offense, which generated enough yardage to win but couldn’t do quite enough to leave West Virginia with a victory.
Want the full breakdown? You can check out my recap article below for three positives and negatives from the game!
Men’s Golf
Cincinnati opened Big 12 Match Play on Monday with a 2.5-2.5 tie against Arizona before beating UCF 3.5-1.5 in the afternoon session at The Country Club of Salt Lake. The Bearcats carried that momentum into Tuesday but couldn’t finish the job against top-seeded Oklahoma State, falling 3-2 in a competitive matchup. Cincinnati then closed the tournament Wednesday with a loss to Baylor, which finished the event on a strong run. Despite the tough finish, junior Leo Wessel, sophomore Brayden Miller and freshman Aidan Wilson each picked up multiple match-play victories throughout the tournament. The event marked Cincinnati’s final competition of the fall, with the Bearcats scheduled to return to action Feb. 15-16 at the Battle at Briar’s Creek in Johns Island, South Carolina.
Swimming and Diving
Cincinnati split its dual meet against Miami (Ohio) on Friday at the Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center. The women’s team delivered a strong performance in a 188-112 victory, while the men’s team fell 165-135. The women started the meet with a win in the 200-yard medley relay, as Asiata, Worrell, Mardis and Aarsvold finished in 1:41.62. Cincinnati’s women went on to win 11 events, including 10 individual swimming and diving events. Senior Lindi Worrell led the way with three individual victories, taking first in the 200-yard freestyle in 1:51.08, the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:01.32 and the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:17.67. The women’s victory gave Cincinnati a bright spot in an otherwise split day against its regional opponent.
Cross Country
Both Cincinnati cross country teams earned top-10 finishes Friday at the Bradley Pink Classic at Newman Golf Course. The men’s team placed fourth in the red 8K race with 196 points, while the women finished ninth in the red 6K with 257 points. Lucas Towne led the men with a ninth-place finish in 23:35.5, and Isaac Schachleiter followed in 14th at 23:46.3. Gianni Allwein also cracked the top 35, finishing 32nd in 24:08.0. On the women’s side, Eloane Le Corre paced the Bearcats with a 17th-place finish in 20:47.3. Ireland Wildhart finished 41st, followed by Jocey Willis in 52nd. Both teams placed multiple runners among the top finishers, giving Cincinnati a solid showing against a competitive field.
Women’s Soccer
Cincinnati women’s soccer faced two Big 12 opponents at Gettler Stadium this week, falling 1-0 to No. 20 BYU on Monday before earning a 1-1 draw against Houston on Friday. The Bearcats struggled to find an equalizer against BYU, but they showed resilience against Houston after conceding in the seventh minute. Junior Tiana Campbell responded in the 26th minute with the equalizing goal, reaching the 30-goal milestone of her career. Cincinnati couldn’t find a winner over the remaining minutes and settled for a draw, moving to 3-6-5 on the season. The Bearcats will look to build on that result when they travel to Orlando to face UCF on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Women’s Volleyball
Cincinnati volleyball dropped a 3-1 decision to West Virginia on Friday at Hope Coliseum, falling by set scores of 25-21, 25-14, 27-29 and 25-19. Sydney Nolan delivered another strong offensive performance, leading the Bearcats with 21 kills for her fifth 20-kill match of the season. Ligia Williams added a season-high 11 kills while hitting .529 and contributing four blocks. Viktoria Ninova also helped defensively with 14 digs. Cincinnati fought back to take the third set in a close finish, but West Virginia controlled the fourth to secure the match. The loss moved the Bearcats to 8-8 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 play, while the Mountaineers improved to 10-7 overall and 3-4 in conference action. Cincinnati will return to Fifth Third Arena next week to host Kansas State on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Arizona on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Looking Ahead
Cincinnati athletics saw a little bit of everything this week, from baseball closing its fall schedule unbeaten to strong individual performances in swimming, cross country and volleyball. Men’s golf also picked up two positive results before facing a difficult finish at Big 12 Match Play. Meanwhile, the football and basketball teams will look to respond after losses, and women’s soccer will try to turn its draw against Houston into momentum for its next conference matchup.
As the fall season continues, the Bearcats will have plenty of opportunities to build on this week’s performances and make progress across their remaining schedules.
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