ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF volleyball team will play its first home matches of the 2017 season this weekend in the VolleyKnights Invitational in The Venue.
Originally, the Knights were set to host Virginia and Ole Miss, but the lingering effects of Hurricane Irma forced the three programs to alter the schedule. UCF (5-5) will now play on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. with both matches coming against Virginia (4-5).
"I've been impressed with how resilient we have been," head coach Todd Dagenais said. "We've managed three weeks on the road, a long bus trip and the aftermath of a major hurricane. I'm looking forward to seeing a team that is looking forward to be back home and perform in front of our fans. It's good to be back in a two-match routine at home. Playing against a good ACC team a couple of times will be a great way to open our season in The Venue.
Admission is free for all matches this weekend, while UCFKnights.tv will stream each match.
LAST TIME OUT
UCF went 2-2 at the UCA Classic last weekend to earn the tournament title. The Knights downed host Central Arkansas and Southern on Saturday, bouncing back from a pair of defeats to Oral Roberts and Arkansas State on Friday. Freshman Kristina Fisher was named tournament MVP after hitting .239 with 49 kills on the weekend, including a career-high 21 against UCA.
ROAD WARRIORS
• The Knights return home after playing 10-matches on the road, the longest stretch to start a season in the Todd Dagenais era.
• Defensively, the Black and Gold has held opponents to an average hitting percentage of .189, while allowing just one team to hit above .250 this season. UCF has also outblocked opponents in eight matches this season.
• Newcomers Erin Olson, Kristina Fisher and Anne-Marie Watson have worked their way into the rotation. Olson has combined with setter Miranda Watkins to average 12 assists per set. Fisher and Watson rank second and fifth on the team in kills per set, respectively.
KIA KILLS 1,000
• With her sixth kill last Friday against Oral Roberts, redshirt senior Kia Bright became the 12th player in program history to record 1,000 kills in a career. The Starke, Fla., native is the seventh to hit that mark under Dagenais.
• Bright leads the team in kills per set at 3.56 this season, which also ranks sixth in the American Athletic Conference.
• The outside hitter is also 51 digs away from becoming the fifth player in school history to join the 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs club.
SERIES HISTORY
• Friday and Saturday will be the first and second meeting ever between the Knights and the Cavaliers.
SCOUTING UVA
• Virginia is 4-5 on the season after dropping two of three in the Jefferson Cup. The lone win of the weekend came in a sweep against Ohio.
• Sarah Billiard leads the attack as the only player with more than 100 kills this season, checking in at 105.
• Chino Anukwuem has racked up 31 blocks this season to headline a defense that has averaged 2.1 blocks per set this year.
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.
GET THE APP
Never miss any UCF Knights news from your favorite team by downloading the free UCF Knights app right to your iOS or Android phone! The app provides personalized information for men's and women's teams, scores, schedules, loyalty programs and even breaking news.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Volleyball on social media on Facebook (/UCF.Volleyball), Twitter (UCF_Volleyball) and Instagram (UCF.Volleyball).
