Nov. 17, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - After tying SMU (14-16, 6-10 C-USA) for the eighth spot in the league with a 6-10 record in league play, the UCF (14-16, 6-10 C-USA) volleyball team earned the No. 9 seed heading into the Conference USA Volleyball Championship this weekend. The Knights will open the 12-team, four-day tournament Thursday at 1 p.m. ET against the No. 8-seeded Mustangs in Memphis, Tenn.
UCF's eighth-place tie in C-USA this season is its highest finish since joining the league in 2005 and its No. 9 ranking in the event is its best placing since its inaugural season, when the Knights entered the tournament with the same seeding and same 6-10 league mark.
On the year, the Knights have pushed their volleyball program into a new direction, securing their most wins since 2003 with a 14-16 overall record and beating four teams in conference play that they had never beaten previously. The Black and Gold also registered a five-match winning streak from Sept. 13-20, its longest streak since 2004, while matching the team win total from both the 2007 and 2006 seasons combined.
When UCF and SMU last met in late September at Moody Coliseum, the Knights took an early 2-0 lead in the match, before the Mustangs rallied back to win the contest, 3-2. Stephanie Serna (San Antonio, Texas) and Janine Williams (Gainesville, Fla.) paced the Knights offensively in the contest, tallying 15 kills apiece, while Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) added 13 kills. Defensively, Kathleen Curry (Geneva, Fla.) posted 27 digs and Jenny Heppert (Lawrence, Kan.) totaled five blocks for the visiting Knights.
The Black and Gold is 1-3 all-time in the C-USA Championship, picking up its only win in 2005 against Memphis. Since then, UCF has dropped three-straight matches at the event. But heading into the match against SMU Thursday, the Knights are 7-1 on the season when facing an opponent at a neutral site.
The winner of Thursday's match will advance to the quarterfinals Friday against top-seeded Tulane (24-5, 15-1 C-USA) at 1 p.m. ET, with the semifinals scheduled for Friday. The C-USA Championship match is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET and will be aired live on CBS College Sports Network.
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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