ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com)—The UCF volleyball team went 1-1 in American Athletic Conference play last week on the road. The Knights defeated ECU before falling to Cincinnati.
"The opening road trip is always difficult, especially because the younger players don't know what to expect and you are trying to get into a rhythm," said head coach Todd Dagenais. "We only had one road trip this year, when we went to Southern Illinois. We know that championships and putting yourself in championship position happen on Sunday."
UCF started the road trip with a 3-1 (25-22, 22-25,32-30, 25-21) victory over ECU on Friday evening. The team recorded 64 kills, 56 assists, 75 digs and 13 team blocks. Senior Jalé Hervey led the team with 21 kills, hitting at a .265 clip.
"(ECU was) really good and did some things that we had a hard time stopping and that we had to make adjustments on," Dagenais said. "Fortunately, the adjustments worked. We had players make big plays that allowed us to cruise ahead to a victory."
The Knights played a tight match with The American preseason favorite Cincinnati on Sunday. UCF took a set off the Bearcats, but ultimately fell 3-1 (20-25, 21-25, 25-21,19-25). The Knights hit .351 in the third set, holding Cincinnati to one block and a .294 hitting percentage. Redshirt junior Kia Bright logged 19 kills hitting at a .326 clip, while freshman Alli Sabol registered 10 kills, hitting .400 with two blocks.
"We didn't play as well as we wanted to," said Dagenais. "I felt like we certainly could've played better in some areas and significantly better in other areas. But Cincinnati is just flat out really good. They make you pay the price for every mistake you make."
UCF Volleyball, which is presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, returns to The Venue on Oct. 7. The Knights host Houston at 4 p.m., leading into the football game against Tulane at 8 p.m. UCF closes the weekend with a match against Tulane on Sunday at 1 p.m.
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