ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com)—Jalé Hervey's 1000th kill as a Knight led the volleyball team to a 3-2 (25-15, 17-25, 25-21, 19-25, 15-11) victory over Central Michigan. UCF earned its 10th win of the season.
"We are very fortunate to come out with a win tonight," said head coach Todd Dagenais. "That's not to say that I don't think we earned the win nor do I feel like CMU gave away the win."
The Knights started strong jumping out to an early 8-4 lead. UCF never lost the lead and took the first set 25-15. In the second set, Hervey tallied her 1000th kill as a Knight, but it was not enough to win the second set. The Black and Gold won the first point of the third set, and never allowed the Chippewas to tie the game or take the lead. In the fourth set, the teams were tied 11 times and with six lead changes. The score went back and forth before CMU jumped out to a 19-13 lead and held on to force a fifth set. The Knights won the first two points which set the tone for the rest of the final game. Once UCF got to 10, they never looked back and clinched the match.
1000
- Hervey recorded her 1000th kill at UCF in the victory.
- She is the 11th player in UCF history to accomplish this feat.
- In the match she logged a double-double with 22 kills, 12 digs while hitting .365.
Dagenais on the kill: "The 1000 kills is incredible," Dagenais said. "To think that she has been her two years and four weeks (and accomplished this milestone) either means we are setting her too much or she's done a great job of the balls that we have set her. As proud as I am of her and the thousand kills, I am much more proud of the woman she has become in that two years. I am proud of her leadership and that she knows what it feels like to struggle but knows what it means to be an enforcer (and take care of business)."
Hervey on the kill: "I didn't know it was coming, but it felt so good to have teammates and people around me who I love, to help me celebrate this accomplishment," said Hervey. "It feels great to know that hard work really does pay off."
Double-Digits
- Along with Hervey, Taylor Gallart and Ann Richards both recorded double-digit kills in the victory. Gallart tallied 11, while Richards logged 16.
- Richards also hit .448 in the victory.
- Miranda Watkins and Farah Rajaee registered 25 and 29 assists, respectively.
- Kia Bright made 10 digs, while libero Jordan Pingel tied Hervey with 12.
- The team totaled 13 team blocks.
Five-Set Streak
- This was the first five-set victory since October 2, 2015 against Tulane.
- The last non-conference five-set win was against Southern Illinois on August 29 in Orlando.
- "I was really happy to see our team handle a fifth set," said Dagenais. "The mentality was perfect, which is what gave them a chance to win."
Up Next
- The Knights, who are presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, open conference play against cross-interstate rival USF on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., at The Venue.
General admission adult season tickets are now available for $30, and youth tickets (ages 2-17 years) are $15 and good for one-general admission seat to all 2015 regular season home matches. General admission single game tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for youth, seniors (55+) and UCF Faculty Staff. Admission is free for UCF students. For more information on how to purchase tickets, click here or call 407-UCF-1000.