Oct. 8, 2010
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By Sarah Tarasewicz
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - The UCF volleyball team is set to welcome East Carolina to The Venue at UCF this weekend as it hosts a two-match Conference USA series against the Pirates. The two squads will meet on Saturday and Sunday night, with both contests set for 7 p.m. All fans will be admitted to Saturday's VolleyBowl III contest free of charge as the Black and Gold look to break the program attendance record for the third-straight season.
The VolleyBowl tradition began in 2008 when the Knights hosted No. 3 Stanford, one of the winningest programs in the nation, for the inaugural match at The Venue at UCF. On that night, the Black and Gold entertained a crowd of 1,568 UCF faithful in an electrifying match against the eventual 2008 NCAA national runner-up.
Last season, the Knights entertained in-state rival USF for VolleyBowl II and managed to once again break the attendance record, as 1,603 fans watched the Knights take on the Bulls at The Venue.
Team captain Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.) and the Knights are looking for their first league win of 2010 in VolleyBowl III against East Carolina as they have dropped close contests to Marshall, Houston and Rice to open the C-USA portion of their schedule. Overall, UCF holds a 7-9 record, while its conference mark sits at 0-4.
Fisher not only leads the Black and Gold in kills (240) and points (266.5), but the junior also ranks third among league leaders in both categories. Fisher also remains in the top-20 nationally in kills, ranking in at No. 18 with a 4.36 kills-per-set average.
The Pirates have struggled to post wins this season, as the squad travels to Orlando with a 1-15 overall record and a 0-4 C-USA mark after falling to UAB, Memphis and UTEP.
East Carolina has been successful defensively in the early part of its schedule, however, as it has out-blocked its opponents, 111.5 total blocks to 105. 0 total blocks. A big reason for its blocking success can be credited to the play of both Kelly Derby and Jackie Varnum, who have combined for 87 kills for the Pirates.
In the all-time series, East Carolina holds a 3-8 advantage over UCF.
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.