MEMPHIS, Tenn. (UCFKnights.com)—UCF Volleyball defeated Memphis for their 20th victory of the season, 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 16-25, 25-20).
"Today's win was sweet due to a combination of different reasons," head coach Todd Dagenais said. "We had to overcome adversity, we had to ask some players to play out of position, we had to beat a team that was hot and do it on the road, on a Sunday. This is one of those victories that we will smile about. We went and grinded out a win. I thought we had a lot of players step up, understanding what was on the line, understanding the situation we are in, and understanding that at the end of the day we just have to get the win."
The Knights started a little slow, falling behind 5-1 in the first set. UCF battled back and with an Ann Richards kill, took the first set decisively 25-19. The Black and Gold and Tigers competed hard early in the second set, neither team led by more than four points. The Knights took a 21-20 lead and didn't look back, sealing the second set with a Taylor Gallart kill.
The Tigers came out swinging following the break, going up 18-10. Memphis secured the last seven points to take the third set 25-16. The teams battled back and forth at the beginning of the fourth set. The Knights took a 12-11 lead on a Jeanne Westney block to give UCF the momentum. The Black and Gold clinched the match with an Alli Sabol kill.
Above and Beyond
- UCF had three players with 10 or more kills, hitting above .200 in the victory.
- Senior Jalé Hervey recorded 26 kills, averaging 6.5 kills per set, with a .264 hitting percentage.
- Senior Taylor Gallart posted 11 kills, hitting at a .222 clip.
- Freshman Alli Sabol tallied 10 kills, making just two errors, and registered a .308 hitting percentage.
Block Party
- Freshman Jeanne Westney and redshirt junior Taylor Wickey lead the team in blocks.
- Both players recorded two solo blocks, and three block assists.
- The Knights posted 11 blocks as a team.
Top Numbers
- Sophomore Jordan Pingel led the team with 14 digs, followed by redshirt junior Kia Bright with 13.
- Junior Farah Rajaee made 24 assists, averaging six per set, while sophomore Miranda Watkins posted 22 assists.
Up Next
- UCF continues their road swing with a match at SMU on Thursday, followed by a match at Tulsa on Saturday.
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