ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com)—The UCF volleyball team went 1-1 in American Athletic Conference play last weekend at The Venue.
On the weekend, senior Jalé Hervey tallied 42 kills, hitting at a .330 clip and averaging 5.25 kills per set over the two matches. The senior also posted 30 digs, averaging 3.75 digs per set. Sophomore Jordan Pingel had a record weekend, making 52 digs and averaging 6.50 digs per set. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native also recorded 13 assists, averaging 1.62 assists per set. The libero recorded a career-high nine assists and a season-high 31 digs against Cincinnati.
"I'm really proud of how the team is grinding away late in the season," said head coach Todd Dagenais. "It seems that every time we are being measured, we show improvement over the first half of the season."
UCF (18-7, 8-4 AAC) started the weekend falling in a close five-set match with Cincinnati (22-25, 25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 8-15) on Thursday. Hervey had 22 kills and 17 digs, followed by redshirt junior Kia Bright with 17 kills and 11 digs. Junior Farah Rajaee finished with 22 assists and 16 digs, followed by sophomore Miranda Watkins with her 30 assists and 12 digs
"I was so proud of the adjustments we made as a team that made it a competitive match," Dagenais said.
The Knights then swept East Carolina 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-20). Three Knights hit above .300 in the victory. Hervey led the team hitting .372 followed by redshirt junior Taylor Wickey hitting at a .364 clip. Freshman Alli Sabol posted a .304 hitting percentage. Pingel passed 21 digs, followed by Hervey with 13. Kia Bright also made 10 digs.
"I thought we did a nice job of bending but not breaking," said Dagenais. "We know it wasn't our best match, yet we still came out and performed at a level, especially in clutch situations, that allowed us to win each of the three sets. The win over ECU was really crucial for us. I thought we maintained our composure and executed well."
The Black and Gold, who are presented by Holiday Inn Orlando East UCF Area, hit the road for the second match of the War On I4 as they take on USF at the Sun dome. The match is slated for 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
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