Nov. 22, 2015
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - It was a bittersweet Sunday afternoon in The Venue for the UCF volleyball team. The Knights dropped a 3-0 decision to Cincinnati in Dana Faught, Abbie Fleener and Shelby Foyer's final home match.
"It's more about our seniors," head coach Todd Dagenais said. "It's more about those three players that gave their heart and their soul for three or four years to help get us to where we are, and to make sure that we have a nice launching pad to bounce off of."
After Cincinnati scored the first point of the match, UCF (14-16, 8-10 AAC) came back to tie the score 13 times, but the Bearcats allowed just two lead changes in the opening set. Cincinnati held off for a 25-22 first set win. The Bearcats took control of the second set and held a 2-0 advantage in the match with a 25-9 second set win.
Down two sets and trailing 10-4 in the third set, the Knights went to work. UCF chipped away at the lead and used back-to-back kills from junior Taylor Gallart to go ahead 19-18. Cincinnati reclaimed a 22-21 lead, but senior Abbie Fleener pulled UCF even with a kill. Junior Jale Hervey teamed up with sophomore Ann Richards for a block to put the Knights in front and set the Knights up for set point with a kill. The Bearcats used four straight points to close the set and seal the sweep.
Jale Hervey finished with a match-high 17 kills and just four errors for a .500 hitting percentage. Maddie Haggerty and Jordan Pingel each had nine digs for the Knights. Haggerty finished with a match-high five blocks.
Senior Knights
? Dana Faught, Abbie Fleener and Shelby Foyer played their final match as Knights in The Venue.
? Faught finished with a team-high 18 assists and five digs. Fleener tallied eight kills and two digs. Foyer recorded three digs and served up an ace.
Next Up
? UCF, who is presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, closes out the season on the road. The Knights take on Tulsa on Nov. 25 and end the season at SMU on Nov. 27.
Story by Megan Herboth; Video by Conor Englehardt; Photos by Brad Helton