Nov. 15, 2005
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ORLANDO - The UCF volleyball team will make its Conference USA Championship debut on Thursday, facing Memphis at 2 p.m. Eastern. in Houston, Texas. The Golden Knights (8-17) have earned the No. 9 seed at the tournament which will be hosted by Rice at Autry Court. UCF will face No. 8 Memphis (16-15) in first round action to open the event.
ABOUT UCF After concluding the regular season with a 6-10 record in league contests, UCF begins play at the Conference USA Championship with a No. 9 seed. In order to claim the event, the Golden Knights will have to win four matches in four days. Playing in its first campaign in C-USA, UCF posted a 4-4 mark against league foes away from Orlando. Despite being hampered by injuries, the Golden Knights have claimed four of their last six contests in league play.
On the season, junior outside hitter Maina Heming paces the squad, averaging 3.18 kills per game. Junior middle blocker Jana Mitchell has a team-best .269 hitting percentage. UCF's junior setter, Leah Alexander, is averaging 9.76 assists per game. Senior Katie Kohnen is the squad's top libero. She is averaging 2.76 digs per game.
ABOUT MEMPHIS The Tigers dropped a pair of conference matches this past weekend and enter the tournament with a 7-7 record in C-USA play. Memphis has lost four of its last five matches. The team is led by Nancy Nellans, who is averaging 3.42 kills and 3.66 digs per game. Laura Cote (11.78 assists per game) is one of the top setters in the league. Shelby Burton is averaging 1.08 blocks per game, good for sixth in the C-USA rankings. In its last outing, the Tigers lost a 3-0 (30-17, 30-22, 30-25) match at Marshall. Earlier in the year, Memphis became the only league team to top the Thundering Herd this season, claiming a 3-2 (30-18, 27-30, 27-30, 30-27, 30-19) contest at home on Oct. 16. On Sunday, the Tigers hit .121 as a team, compared to .376 for the hosts. Nellans led the visitors with eight kills.
UCF AGAINST THE TIGERS The all-time series against Memphis is tied with each team winning four matches. This season, the teams each claimed one contest. On Oct. 30, visiting UCF posted a 3-2 (19-30, 30-25, 23-30, 30-28) win behind 19 kills and seven total blocks from junior middle blocker Jana Mitchell. In the win, sophomore outside hitter Schanell Neiderworder tallied a double-double with 17 kills and a career-best 26 digs. Junior setter Leah Alexander totaled 54 assists. Nancy Nellans led the hosts with 25 kills and 23 digs and Laura Cote had 71 assists.
The squads met in Orlando on Oct. 2 and the Tigers took a 3-1 (30-26, 16-30, 30-27, 30-28) victory behind 23 kills from Ashley Liford. Nellans had a double-double with 18 kills and 11 digs. Cote recorded a match-high 66 assists. Sophomore outside hitter Lorin Lukas paced the Golden Knights with 10 kills and 10 digs.
UCF LAST TIME OUT On Sunday, the Golden Knights concluded the regular season at home, falling 3-0 (30-28, 30-25, 30-24) to Florida Atlantic in non-league play. With the win, the Owls improved to 27-2 on the year. Junior outside hitter Maina Heming led the hosts with 14 kills and 11 digs.
UCF IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS Under head coach Meg Colado, UCF is 7-3 in conference tournaments. The Golden Knights will be competing in the C-USA Championship for the first time after moving from the Atlantic Sun, where they won three tournament titles in the last four years.
LORIN IS BACK After missing three matches due to an injury, sophomore outside hitter Lorin Lukas returned to the UCF lineup against Florida Atlantic on Sunday. Lukas totaled 11 kills and nine digs against the Owls. On the year, she has posted five double-doubles.
SERVICE SUCCESS During her rookie campaign, freshman middle blocker Jenny Heppert has been solid with her serve, averaging .057 service aces per game. That mark is good for third in the conference. On Nov. 8 against North Florida, UCF recorded 15 aces. The 15 aces tied for ninth on UCF's single-match register. Sophomore middle blocker Schanell Neiderworder posted six aces and Heppert had four.
A TRUE BLOCK PARTY In 2005, UCF ranks second as a team in Conference USA, averaging 2.37 blocks per game. Three Golden Knights are in the top-10 in blocks per game, led by junior middle blocker Jana Mitchell, who is fifth with a 1.13 per game average. Sophomore outside hitter Schanell Neiderworder (1.07) ranks seventh and freshman middle blocker Jenny Heppert (1.06) is eighth.
ON DECK The UCF-Memphis winner will face top-seeded Marshall at 2 p.m. on Friday in quarterfinal action... UCF is 0-2 this season against Marshall and is 1-2 all-time against the Thundering Herd... The Conference USA Championship title match is slated for 5 p.m. on Sunday. The match will be televised live nationally on CSTV.