Oct. 18, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Senior Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) posted a match-best 11 kills, but it was not enough as the UCF volleyball team fell to visiting Houston (7-17, 4-5 C-USA) in straight-sets (22-25, 16-25, 21-25) Sunday afternoon at The Venue at UCF in Conference USA action.
The loss dropped the Knights' record to 10-12 on the season and 2-7 in league play.
"This season is far from being lost," head coach Todd Dagenais said following the match. "We are still just a few matches away from being able to get where we want to go, but we have to resolve our issues and we have to do it very quickly.
Campbell also added five digs and two service aces for the home team, while Tory McCutcheon (Milton, Ontario) posted a team-best .667 hitting percentage. Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.) and Evija Vilde (Riga, Lativa) both recorded five kills and Andee Youngblood (Castle Rock, Colo.) and Jennifer Belew (St. Louis, Mo.) led the Knights with 14 and 11 assists, respectively.
Defensively, the Black and Gold out-dug the Cougars 40-39, with libero Meredith Murphy (Austin, Texas) pacing the squad with 10 digs. Fisher contributed seven digs for the home team and Belew registered six.
The Knights and the Cougars waged a hard-fought battle in the opening set, with the two squads changing leads seven times and evening the score nine times. With the score deadlocked 18-18, the Black and Gold surrendered a 7-4 run to the visitors to fall down 1-0 in the match.
Campbell had totaled nine kills and four digs at the conclusion of the second set, but the Knights once again gave up a run late to the Cougars to allow the visiting squad to take a 2-0 lead heading into the locker room.
UCF held the advantage over Houston late in the third set, 18-17, before an 8-3 run from the Cougars closed out the match. In the final set, the teams had 11 tie scores and exchanged leads four different times.
The Black and Gold continues its four-match home stretch Friday, Oct. 23 when it welcomes East Carolina to The Venue at UCF for a 7 p.m. contest, before concluding the homestand Saturday vs. Marshall at 7 p.m.
Season tickets for the 2009 season are still available for only $30, with the Knights hosting five regular-season matches remaining at The Venue at UCF this 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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