Sept. 4, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - The UCF volleyball team travels to Lawrence, Kan., this weekend to take part in the Jayhawk Invitational hosted by the University of Kansas. The Knights, who hold a 2-2 overall record, open the tournament Friday against No. 13 Oregon at 11 a.m. ET. Later in the day, the Black and Gold will face Utah Valley State at 6 p.m. ET, before concluding the event versus host Kansas on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.
Schedule:
Friday
No. 13 Oregon - 11 a.m. ET
Utah Valley State - 6 p.m. ET
Saturday
Kansas - 2 p.m. ET
Records:
UCF - 2-2, 0-0 Conference USA
No. 13 Oregon - 2-1, 0-0 Pac-10
Utah Valley State - 0-2, 0-0 Great West
Kansas - 1-1, 0-0 Big 12
Arena:
Horejsi Family Athletics Center
Series:
UCF will face Oregon for the first time
Utah Valley State leads UCF, 2-0
Kansas lead UCF, 1-0
Live Stats:
www.UCFAthletics.com
Oregon Ducks (2-1, 0-0 Pac-10)
The No. 13 team in the nation, the Ducks are 2-1 on the season, posting wins against No. 23 New Mexico State and North Carolina, while being handed its only loss in a five-set showdown at Illinois. Oregon is led by Gorana Maricic's 2.89 kills per set and Neticia Enesi's 2.17 blocks per set. The 2007 All-Pac-10 All-Freshman Team Honorable Mention selection has totaled 26 block assists in 12 sets played. Friday's meeting is the first between the Ducks and the Knights.
Utah Valley State Wolverines (0-2, 0-0 Great West)
The Wolverines are 0-2 this season after dropping matches to Utah and Santa Clara at the Ute Invitational last weekend. Jaicee Kuresa paces Utah Valley State's offense, averaging 2.25 kills per set, while Kristi Lindley has controlled the offensive attack with 48 assists on the season. The Wolverines have won both meetings against the Knights, with the last coming in 2006.
Kansas Jayhawks (1-1, 0-0 Big 12)
The Jayhawks host the Jayhawk Invitational this weekend with a 1-1 record on the season, falling to VCU in three sets to open the season, before bouncing back to defeat NC State in three sets to conlcude the VCU/Third Degree Sportswear Invitational. Karina Garlington is averaging 3.83 kills per set for Kansas, while Allison Mayfield holds a 2.83 kills per set average. The Jayhawks have won the only meeting vs. the Knights.
Homecoming for Two
The Knights trip to Lawrence, Kan., serves as a homecoming for two players, Jenny Heppert and Erin Campbell. Heppert, originally from Lawrence and Campbell, originally from Kansas City, Mo., were given the chance to play in their hometown in front of their family and friends by first-year head coach Todd Dagenais, who hopes to get most of his players back home in the future as well.
Pack the House
Junior Erin Campbell posted a match-high 10 kills, despite the UCF volleyball team falling to visiting No. 3 Stanford, 3-0, Tuesday night in front of a capacity crowd at The Venue at UCF. The match versus the Cardinal marked the opening of The Venue at UCF and the first home game for the Knights in 2008. The 1,568 fans that attended the match shattered the program attendance record and also were able to honor members of UCF's 1978 AIAW national championship squad following the second set.
Second Time's a Charm
After facing the Cardinal on Tuesday, the Knights will face a ranked opponent for the second-straight match when they go head-to-head with No. 13 Oregon on Friday morning. Despite falling to No. 3 Stanford in three sets, the Black and Gold showed great composure against the nation's elite, preparing them to challenge hard against the Ducks.
Double-Digit Campbell
Junior Erin Campbell has totaled at least 10 kills in all of the Knights' four matches in 2008. The outside hitter posted a career-high 22 kills in UCF's season-opener against in-state rival Jacksonville, and registered a match-high 10 kills against No. 3 Stanford on Tuesday night.
Big-Time Blocks
After recording one-half of the Knights' only block against national-powerhouse Stanford on Tuesday, senior Jenny Heppert tied the Emily Queisser for the fifth spot on the UCF career-register for block assists. The middle blocker has 238 block assists in her career and has already totaled 12 in 2008. Heppert now has the chance to catch Michelle Cutright for the No. 5 spot in total blocks. Heppert currently has 285 total career blocks and needs only four to tie and five to surpass the mark.
Season tickets for UCF's 2008 volleyball campaign at The Venue are currently available by calling the UCF athletics ticket office at 407-UCF-1000. For the latest news on the Knights, log on to www.UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit www.UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.
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