Oct. 29, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF volleyball team continues to keep its eye on the No. 8 spot in Conference USA standings this weekend when it travels to UAB and Memphis for a pair of league contests. The Knights will face the Blazers Friday at 8 p.m. ET, before taking on the Tigers Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
After splitting a pair of conference matches last weekend against East Carolina and Marshall, the Black and Gold currently sits one game behind Houston and one game out of the eighth position in league standings with an 11-13 overall record and a 3-8 C-USA mark. Breaking into that eighth spot will give the Knights a chance to make a run at the NCAA Tournament, as only the top-eight teams make the all-important C-USA Championship and have the opportunity to earn the league's automatic NCAA bid.
With senior Erin Campbell (Kansas City, Mo.) most likely out for the weekend series, sophomore Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.) will be looked upon to carry the bulk of the offensive load. The outside hitter ranks second on the team and 13th in C-USA with 3.23 kills and 3.64 points per set, while totaling 276 total kills and 316.5 total points on the season. Fisher also leads the Knights with 22 service aces and is third on the squad with 190 digs.
The team-leader in digs, freshman Meredith Murphy (Austin, Texas) ranks sixth among C-USA foes with a 4.27 digs-per-set average and is one of only nine players in the league to tally over 300 digs, with 380 on the season. Defensively, she is joined by sophomore Sara Rex (Oldsmar, Fla.) who is averaging a team-best 0.83 blocks per set with 62 total blocks in 2009. Her blocking average ranks 18th in C-USA, while her .285 attack percentage is the 11th best mark among league-leaders.
C-USA's leader in blocks, UAB's Michelle Uzoh (1.20/set) and the Blazers welcome the Knights to Bartow Arena Friday night ranking seventh in conference standings with a 5-5 league record and a 12-13 overall mark. UCF's match against UAB is not only a fight for a top-eight position, but will also serve as a stepping stone in the fight against breast cancer. The Blazers have coined the match-up as their Dig for the Cure match and will also be hosting the Scare Away Cancer Fall Festival to benefit Susan G. Komen of North Central Alabama.
In the teams' first meeting this season, UAB defeated the Black and Gold in a five-set thriller, 3-2 (22-25, 25-18, 22-25, 25-22, 12-15), on Oct. 2 at The Venue at UCF. The loss dropped the Knights' all-time record vs. the Blazers to 5-9.
Memphis enters the weekend with a 1-10 C-USA record and a 5-21 overall clip. UCF swept the Tigers, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-22), in the squads' first meeting of 2009 on Oct. 4 at The Venue at UCF, which improved the Knights' record to 7-10 in the all-time series with Memphis.
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.
-UCF-