ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com)—The UCF volleyball team returns to The Venue for a pair of American Athletic Conference matches. The Knights will face Tulsa on Friday, followed by SMU on Sunday.
On Friday, the Knights will be celebrating Knightro's 22nd birthday. The first 100 fans will have a choice between a Knightro cupcake or free fries.
UCF Knights (16-5, 6-2 AAC) vs. Tulsa Hurricanes (13-7, 2-6 AAC)
Friday, Oct. 21, 2016 | 7 p.m.
Orlando, Fla. | The Venue
Live Video | Live Stats | @UCF_Volleyball | Tickets
UCF Knights (16-5, 6-2 AAC) vs. SMU Mustangs (14-6, 7-1 AAC)
Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016 | 1 p.m.
Orlando, Fla. | The Venue
Live Video | Live Stats | @UCF_Volleyball | Tickets
Last Time Out
- The Knights (16-5, 6-2 AAC) went 2-0 last week in The American play. UCF swept UConn and defeated Temple in five sets.
- Redshirt junior Kia Bright was named The American Offensive Player of the Week following her superb performances at UConn and Temple. The Starke, Fla., native registered 35 kills, 22 digs and hit at a .337 clip. The outside hitter averaged 4.38 kills per set to go along with 2.75 digs per set.
- Freshman Alli Sabol recorded 23 kills, averaging 2.88 kills per set, while hitting at a .373 clip. Junior Farah Rajaee led the team in assists with 55, averaging 6.88 per set.
- Five players recorded double-digit digs on the weekend. Sophomore Jordan Pingel led the group with 34 (4.25 digs per set), followed by senior Taylor Gallart (26) and Rajaee (25). Bright passed 22 while senior Jalé Hervey made 10.
- The Knights lead the conference in win-loss percentage (.762). They rank second in six categories - assists per set (13.18), hitting percentage (.246), kills per set (14.09), team assists (1,015), team kills (1,085) and team total blocks (164.0).
- Hervey ranks in top-50 in the nation in four categories. She is 31st in both kills per set (4.19) and points per set (4.76). The Huntsville, Ala., native ranks 39th in total points with 342.5 and 44th in total kills with 302.
- Freshman Jeanne Westney is tied for 21st in the country with 19 solo blocks, she has recorded 86 total blocks this season.
Scouting the Hurricanes
- The Black and Gold face Tulsa on Friday. The Hurricanes stand at 13-7 overall this season. Tulsa holds a 11-5 all-time record against UCF.
- Last season, the Knights went 1-1 against the Hurricanes as each team recorded a road victory.
- The Hurricanes are 2-6 in conference play, dropping decisions to SMU and Memphis last weekend.
- Erica Bohannon leads Tulsa with 284 kills, averaging 3.59 kills per set, this season. Ashton Anderson and Mariah Pardo, who share time at the setter position, have tallied 491 and 351 assists, respectively. Brooke Berryhill leads the team and conference with 406 digs this season, averaging 5.14 digs per set.
Head coach Todd Dagenais on Tulsa: "We have a great history with Tulsa. Every year the matches are tough, intense and great battles. At 13-7, they are a very potent, very dangerous team. They have two potential player of the year-type players. Erica Bohannon, their outside hitter, does it all for them. She is really a fantastic player. Their libero, Brooke Berryhill, is one of the best in terms of her ability to handle a game in the backcourt."
Scouting the Mustangs
- UCF takes on SMU on Sunday. The Mustangs hold a 12-5 lead in the all-time series.
- SMU sits at a 14-6 overall record, going 7-1 in conference play. The Mustangs went undefeated last weekend defeating Tulsa and sweeping Memphis.
- Katie Hegarty leads the team with 286 kills, averaging 3.86 kills per set. Kendall Patterson has made 787 assists on the season, and is tied for first in the conference with 10.64 assists per set. Morgan Heise leads the team with 391 total digs. She ranks first in the conference with 5.28 digs per set.
Dagenais on SMU: "They have everything that they need to go on and win the conference and make a run into the NCAA tournament. She has hard-nose, take no prisoner, competitive players. The success that they've shown year after year is a direct reflection of her and the type of players she brings in."
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