Oct. 21, 2010
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF volleyball team returns home this weekend to host both UAB and Memphis in Conference USA action at The Venue at UCF. The Knights will square off with the Blazers Friday at 7 p.m., before closing out the week vs. the Tigers Sunday at 1 p.m.
The first 250 UCF students to Friday's match-up with UAB will receive a guaranteed ticket to the UCF Homecoming football game vs. Rice on Saturday afternoon, courtesy of SGA.
The Black and Gold enters the C-USA series with a 10-10 overall record, while also carrying a 3-5 league mark. The three wins for UCF in conference play match its record from last season with 12 more matches remaining on its 2010 league slate.
Last weekend, junior Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.) surpassed the 300-kills mark after posting 22 kills in each of the team's two matches on the road at Southern Miss and Tulane and now carries 319 into the contest against UAB. Fisher currently ranks 13th nationally with a 4.49 kills-per-set average, while also ranking 19th in points per set with an average of 4.93. The outside hitter needs only 40 more kills to match her career-high of 359 kills from 2009.
Also reaching milestone No. 300 on the season last weekend was sophomore Meredith Murphy (Austin, Texas). After averaging 3.70 digs per set on the road, the libero landed right on dig No. 300 with her 12th dig in the win at Tulane. Murphy currently ranks eighth in C-USA in digs per set this season, and with 791 digs in her short career, the sophomore needs only 70 more digs to overtake the No. 10 spot on the UCF career register.
The Blazers travel to Orlando with a 5-15 overall record and a 2-6 C-USA mark after splitting their league series vs. Houston and Rice last weekend. UAB opened the homestand Friday with a five-set victory over the Owls, before falling in three sets to the Cougars.
Sam Serley paces UAB both offensively and defensively, tallying team-highs with 205 kills, a .312 attack percentage, 14 service aces and 63 total blocks.
The Knights trail the Blazers, 5-10, in the all-time series with their last win coming in their inaugural season in C-USA back in 2005.
Memphis enters the weekend in a four-way tie with the Black and Gold for sixth place in C-USA standings with a 3-5 league record and a 12-8 overall clip. Just like UAB, the Tigers split their series vs. Houston and Rice at home last weekend, defeating the Cougars Friday in five sets, before falling to Rice Sunday in four sets.
Altrese Hawkins is Memphis' biggest offensive threat, as the sophomore is averaging 3.92 kills per set, while also hitting .312 on the season.
The Knights are 7-11 all-time when facing the Tigers, with their last win coming a season ago at The Venue at UCF in the form of a 3-0 sweep.
Live stats and video are available for both C-USA contests this weekend via UCFAthletics.com.
Season tickets are now available for purchase for only $30 online at UCFAthletics.com or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000. The Knights are set to host 13 regular-season matches at The Venue at UCF this season, which includes 10 Conference USA contests.