Oct. 21, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - Trailing by a set, the UCF volleyball team used the energy from the crowd to rally for a 3-1 win over USF in Volleybowl 2015 at The Venue on Wednesday evening.
I thought (the team) did a great job of sticking to the game plan, assistant head coach Michelle Chatman said. Chatman is the acting head coach while Todd Dagenais is on an indefinite leave of absence due to an illness in the family. We knew it was going to be a grind and they just loved the grind and knew they were going to fight until the end.
UCF (10-11, 4-5 AAC) dropped the opening set, 25-16, but made adjustments at the break that allowed them to reverse the script and even the match with a 25-19 second set win. After trailing 11-9 in the third set, the Black and Gold made a push to take the lead and sophomore Ann Richards went back to serve up a string of five points that put the set in UCF's hands. A 25-18 victory in the third game gave the Knights a 2-1 advantage in the match.
USF jumped out to an early lead in the fourth set and held a five-point advantage on two occasions. The Knights kept their composure and steadily chipped away at the lead. Redshirt sophomore Maddie Haggerty served up an ace to tie the set at 18, and Fleener and redshirt sophomore Taylor Wickey gave UCF its first lead of the set with a block. Richards sealed the UCF victory with a kill for a 25-20 set win.
Jale Hervey led the Knights with 14 kills, while Maddie Haggerty added 10. Ann Richards and Shelby Foyer each served up a pair of aces, while Taylor Wickey tallied four blocks.
Digging It
• The Knights made adjustments after dropping the first set. UCF out-dug USF in the final three sets and 74-63 in the match.
• Nine of the 10 Knights that saw action tallied at least one dig and three finished with 10 or more.
• Freshman Jordan Pingel led UCF with 24 digs, including eight in the opening set.
Electric Energy
• The Knights played in front of 607 fans for the 2015 edition of Volleybowl, including the UCF Marching Knights.
• The Knights kept the crowd on its feet in the final three sets and fed off the energy.
(We) love the band. I think it really pumps us up, all the energy. This week we talked about our energy and supporting each other. I think we did a really good job and the energy helped a lot. - Sophomore Ann Richards
Next Up
• UCF, who is presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, are back in action on Friday at East Carolina. The Knights head out for a stretch of four road matches before returning home.
• The Knights are back at The Venue on Nov. 8, hosting East Carolina at 1 p.m.
Story by Megan Herboth; Video by Rachel White