Cincinnati Volleyball Previews Matches Against Colorado and West Virginia

The Cincinnati volleyball team is traveling to Boulder, Colorado, to play Colorado on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET at the CU Events Center. Following that match, the Bearcats will return to Fifth Third Arena to host West Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. ET.

How do the Bearcats match up against their upcoming opponents?

Colorado currently holds a 2-1 lead in the all-time series against Cincinnati. In their most recent encounter, the Bearcats swept the Buffaloes, a victory led by Sydney Nolan’s 19 kills. Nolan hit .531 during that match against the then-No. 21 ranked team.

Here's a look at the 2026-27 @Big12Conference WBB media preseason poll!1. Oklahoma State2. TCU3. Baylor4. West Virginia5. Arizona State6. Kansas7. BYU8. Colorado9. Texas Tech10. K-State11. Iowa State12. Utah13. Arizona14. Cincinnati15. Houston16. UCF
— https://x.com/RachGall/status/2115478756127318294

The matchup against West Virginia presents a more difficult historical challenge, as the Mountaineers lead the all-time series 17-4. Earlier this season on Oct. 16, West Virginia defeated Cincinnati 3-1 in Morgantown, utilizing a .366 hitting percentage to win. The sets ended 25-21, 25-14, 27-29, and 25-19.

Who are the key players for Cincinnati?

Sydney Nolan was recently named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, averaging 5.25 kills per set. Her performance included a career-best 30 kills against Arizona—the highest single-match total by any conference player this season—and 16 kills against Kansas State. Nolan currently ranks fourth in the Big 12 and 16th nationally in kills per set. She has recorded six matches with 20-plus kills this season.

Other notable contributors include:

Viktoria Ninova: The freshman libero earned a spot on the Big 12 Starting Seven after averaging 5.25 digs per set. She recorded a career-high 34 digs against Arizona, the most by any Big 12 player in a single match this year. Ninova leads the team in digs with 237 and ranks fourth in the conference in digs per set.
Andrea Simovski: The junior outside hitter became the first Power 4 player this season to record 20-plus kills and 20-plus digs in one match during a game against Arizona. She has recorded three double-doubles this year.
Kate Lijic: Lijic has recorded 40-plus assists in six matches and 30-plus in 12. She ranks 70th nationally and fifth in the Big 12 in assists per set.