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.
RIGHT SIDE/OUTSIDE/OPPOSITE
Head coach Todd Dagenais has no shortage of attackers entering his 10th season leading the Knights. Led by redshirt-senior and team captain Kia Bright, UCF has six attackers on the flanks set to put points on the board.
Leading into her final year with the Knights, Bright was named a unanimous All-American Athletic Conference Preseason Team member for the third time in her career. The Starke, Fla., native worked side by side with Jalé Hervey for the past two campaigns, but will now serve as the Knights' most potent offensive attack option. Bright needs 101 kills to scratch the 1,000-plateau for her career, after spending her freshman season at Auburn.
"When you get someone like Kia, who is in her fifth year, who understands all the difficult nuances playing the outside position – playing defense, passing, blocking, hitting, playing out of system balls, knowing where you're supposed to be – it helps when they turn into a leader," Dagenais added. "She was already leading this team before she was elected captain. She really works hard with the younger players behind her has helped out. I think she's going to have a great year."
Alli Sabol made a significant contribution during her freshman season last year, finishing third on the team with 247 kills.
"Alli had a fantastic freshman year, and she's only going to build on that," Dagenais said. "Her blocking, her shot selection and ability to play crazy out of system balls has gotten a lot better. We're looking forward to seeing the type of year that she's going to have."
As in most positions, depth will be a significant factor for the Black and Gold. Jiayi Zhang, a junior transfer from LIU Brooklyn, Kristina Fisher, Anne-Marie Watson and Laché Harper are set to make an impact during their first season of competition with the Knights.
"Players like Kristina and Laché will continue to improve," Dagenais continued. "We'll figure out which one will be in the starting lineup at some point. Laché has a year of experience, and Kristina comes from a great club program. They give us different looks, and we can utilize them at different times. Having
"Jiayi and her ability to play both left and right will be nice. As she starts to acclimate to the speed to our offense, she'll continue to get better and better. With Anne-Marie, we expected to redshirt her, and if we do that or not, I really don't know right now. She's been doing such a great job for us, and she hasn't disappointed us in any capacity. She's improved and impressed everyone around her."
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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