Aug. 31, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Following a perfect start to claim the Radisson-UCF Invitational title, the UCF volleyball team hits the road for the first time Tuesday when it travels to Daytona Beach, Fla., for a match against Bethune-Cookman at 7 p.m. The match against the Wildcats opens a six-game road swing for the Knights.
UCF and Bethune-Cookman have squared off 15 times since their first meeting in 1987, with the Knights holding a perfect 15-0 record in the all-time series. The Black and Gold have won 17-consecutive sets in the squads' last six meetings and have claimed wins in 45 of 46 sets all-time versus the Wildcats. The only set UCF lost to Bethune-Cookman was the second set of the teams' only meeting in 2002.
The Black and Gold enter Tuesday's match-up with a 4-0 record, while Bethune-Cookman enters the face-off with a 0-2 mark, falling to both the Jacksonville and the North Florida in Orlando over the weekend.
After falling in its first set of the year to Jacksonville on Friday, the Black and Gold bounced back to win 12-straight sets to conclude the Radisson-UCF Invitational and claim the tournament title. UCF defeated the Dolphins, 3-1, before going on to record sweeps over North Florida, Florida Atlantic and DePaul.
The Knights' 4-0 start at the Radisson-UCF Invitational last weekend marked only the third time since 1979, and the sixth time in program-history, that they have started the season with four-straight wins. The last time UCF opened the season 4-0 was in 1995, when it won five-consecutive matches to kick-off the season.
UCF placed three players on the Radisson-UCF Invitational All-Tournament Team for their play in the home event. Senior Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) was honored as the tournament's MVP, while fellow senior Andee Youngblood (Castle Rock, Colo.) and freshman Nichole Riedel (Denver, Colo.) were also named to the all-tournament squad. Campbell led the squad with 3.77 kills per set, while Youngblood posted 11.62 assists per set and Riedel added 1.31 blocks per set.
Season tickets for the 2009 season are on sale now for only $30, with the Knights hosting 16 regular-season matches at The Venue at UCF throughout the year.
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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