Oct. 30, 2015
HOUSTON, Texas (UCFKnights.com) - For the second straight match, UCF Volleyball went on the road and swept an American Athletic Conference opponent. The Knights topped Houston 3-0 in the Athletics/Alumni Center on Friday evening.
"I thought we did a great job of being resilient, sticking to the game plan and embracing the grind," acting head coach Michelle Chatman said. "(We respected) the effort that everyone put forth and kept it moving forward when it got difficult."
UCF (12-11, 6-5 AAC) took a 14-13 lead in the opening set and continued to build on it. The Knights used a timeout late in the set as a pair of Houston points cut the lead to two, 24-25, but senior Abbie Fleener delivered out of the huddle to seal a 25-22 win.
A pair of kills from junior Taylor Gallart and redshirt sophomore Taylor Wickey, along with a block from Wickey and redshirt freshman Maddie Haggerty helped UCF to a 3-0 start in the second set. The Cougars swung the score in their favor, but the Knights forced them to call timeout with a 23-20 lead. A pair of points for the Knights out of the break led to a second Houston timeout. Junior Jale Hervey gave UCF a 24-23 edge, and junior Shelby Foyer gave the Knights a 2-0 lead in the match with her third service ace of the evening.
The Knights jumped out to an early lead in the third set. The Black and Gold held off a late Houston run and Hervey's 12th kill secured the match victory.
Fleener On Fire
? Right side hitter Abbie Fleener led the Knights with 16 kills, one shy of her season-high. She turned in a match-high .448 hitting percentage.
? Fleener hit .857 in the first set with six kills on seven swings. She added five kills in both the second and third sets, hitting .333 and .300, respectively.
"She went out there and played hard. I think she came out hot in the first set and the setters found a nice rhythm with her. We were able to spread the ball. Jale was able to come up with big kills and Maddie was able to come up with big kills. We were able to get the middles involved just enough. It was definitely a team effort, for sure."- Coach Chatman
Strong Second Half Start
? UCF opened the second half of the American Athletic Conference season against the Cougars. The Knights posted their second straight road sweep in league play.
? The Black and Gold opened the match on a high note, recording 18 kills while hitting .382. UCF held Houston below a .200 hitting percentage in the first two sets.
Next Up
? UCF, who is presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, continues its road trip with a 2 p.m. ET match at Tulane on Sunday.
? The Knights are back at The Venue on Nov. 8, hosting East Carolina at 1 p.m.
Story by Megan Herboth; Photo by Brad Helton