The 2017 UCF Volleyball season opens up this Friday and UCFKnights.com will preview each position group for the Knights, as they enter their 10th campaign under head coach Todd Dagenais.
MIDDLE BLOCKER
Entering 2017, the Knights not only boast depth in the middle, but talent as well. Jeanne Westney and Taylor Wickey are poised to pick up where they left off in 2016, while Nerissa Moravec will get her first taste of action following a redshirt year.
"The middles for our team are like the plow that clears the road," head coach Todd Dagenais said. "Offensively, they have to get in there, make sure their up in the air, draw blocks, hit seems and score quick points. Defensively, those players will have to block more than a ball a game. Each player is capable of doing that."
Wickey will serve the Knights as one of two captains during her redshirt-senior campaign. The Omaha, Neb., native notched 342 kills over the last two seasons and added 199 blocks.
"Taylor, in her fifth year, is as comfortable as ever," Dagenais said. "She knows how to manipulate the ball. She knows what she's going to do with it with a certain set. She knows the weaknesses of a defense."
Westney was a force in the middle with 27 block solos, the eighth most in a single season. Coupled with 99 block assists, the native of Washington D.C. finished second in The American with 126 rejections as a rookie.
"Jeanne is starting to get a feel for the offense," Dagenais added. "I really expect that she's going to add to her numbers. I know she's capable of hitting in excess of .300. She blocked over a ball per game last season, and I expect that number to go up."
Moravec has shown promise during the spring and preseason camp and will be a player that Dagenais will call on in certain situations.
"Narissa has continued to come along," Dagenais said. "She is by far the fastest of the three middles. You almost have to design a little different offense when she's in there because she's so quick off the ground. She gets from side to side so fast."
DON'T MISS OUT
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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