Nov. 13, 2015
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (UCFKnights.com) - A late rally in the opening set swung the momentum away from UCF Volleyball as the Knights dropped a 3-0 decision to Temple in McGonigle Hall on Friday evening.
In the first set, we were doing a great job with stabilizing the serve and pass phase of the game, acting head coach Michelle Chatman said. We were just too high-error to finish it.
UCF (14-13, 8-7 AAC) used a kill from redshirt sophomore Taylor Wickey to break a 7-7 tie in the opening set and give the Knights the edge. The Black and Gold combined a Temple attack error with a pair of blocks from redshirt freshman Maddie Haggerty to extend its lead and force the Owls to call timeout. Out of the huddle, Haggerty came up with a kill to make it a 12-7 UCF advantage.
The Knights continued to lead, going up 23-20 on a kill from senior Abbie Fleener that prompted the second Temple timeout of the set. The Owls closed the set with a 5-0 run to swing the momentum and take the 25-23 set win.
Temple scored the first two points of the second set as part of a 5-1 run. The Knights were unable to close the gap as the Owls took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-16 victory in the second set.
After the Owls took a 14-7 lead in the third set, Wickey opened a three-point burst for the Knights with a kill. After she and Haggerty teamed up for the block, freshman Miranda Watkins served up an ace to make it 14-10. The Knights took advantage of a kill from junior Taylor Gallart and a bad set by the Owls to delay the match point, but a Tyler Davis kill delivered the Temple victory.
Every day in practice, the younger players are getting better and pushing the older players to be their best, Chatman said. They are also gaining a ton of experience, even in these tough losses, so there's always a lot to learn and look forward to.
Maddie Haggerty led the Knights with eight kills, four blocks and an ace. Jordan Pingel finished with a team-high 17 digs, while Haggerty recorded 10. Abbie Fleener added six kills, while Taylor Wickey tallied five kills and four blocks for the Knights.
Next Up
• UCF, who is presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, completes the northern road trip on Sunday, facing UConn at 1 p.m.
• The Knights are back at The Venue on Nov. 20 for Parents Night against Memphis and host Senior Night against Cincinnati on Nov. 22.
Story by Megan Herboth; Photos by Jeff Roach and Simone Amaduzzi