ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The American Athletic Conference announced its preseason volleyball teams and coaches' poll on Monday afternoon.
Redshirt senior Kia Bright was recognized as a unanimous preseason all-conference selection. It marks the third time that the native of Starke, Fla., has made a preseason team.
In 2016, Bright appeared in all 33 matches, playing in every single set. She finished second on the team in kills with 333 and digs with 379. Bright was named to The American First Team All-Conference team after racking up 14 double-doubles on the year. Sitting at 899, Bright needs 204 kills this season to break into the top-10 in program history.
The Knights were selected to finish fifth by the coaches' poll with 82 points. Third through fifth was separated by 19 points.
UCF will be on the road for the first nine matches of the year, starting with a contest at Northern Colorado on Aug. 25. The home opener is slated for Sept. 15 against Virginia in the VolleyKnights Challenge.
Fans will have their first opportunity to watch the Knights in action this Saturday with the Black and Gold Scrimmage at 3 p.m. in the Venue. Admission is free.
| Place | School | Points | |
| 1. | Wichita State | 116 (7) | |
| 2. | Cincinnati | 113 (5) | |
| 3. | Temple | 101 | |
| 4. | SMU | 90 | |
| 5. | UCF | 82 | |
| 6. | USF | 62 | |
| 7. | UConn | 60 | |
| 8. | Tulane | 55 | |
| 9. | Tulsa | 45 | |
| 10. | Memphis | 31 | |
| 11. | East Carolina | 25 | |
| 12. | Houston | 12 |
Preseason Player of the Year:
Jordan Thompson, Cincinnati*
Preseason Team:
Kia Bright, UCF*
Kayla Williams, UConn
Carly Nolan, Cincinnati
Jordan Thompson, Cincinnati
| Jade Tingelhoff, Cincinnati* Katie Hegarty, SMU* Kendall Patterson, SMU Kaylie McHugh, Tulane |
Irem Asci, Temple*
Izzy Rapacz, Temple*
Emily Hiebert, Wichita State*
Abbie Lehman, Wichita State
[*] Denotes unanimous selection
Ties are not broken if team exceeds 12 players
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UCF Volleyball hits the court for its 10th season under head coach Todd Dagenais. Don't miss a single minute of action at The Venue. Visit UCFKnights.com or call (407) 823-1000 for ticket information.
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