ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF volleyball team extended its winning streak to four matches on Saturday afternoon with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-18) sweep of Virginia.
The Knights (7-5) posted their second straight match with a hitting percentage above .350, while holding the Cavaliers (4-7) under .200 at the net. The Black and Gold finished with seven attacking errors, besting the season low from last night by five.
Per usual, Kia Bright went for a double-double of 11 kills and 13 digs. Bright, Jordan Pingel and Erin Olson recorded double-figure dig performances. Miranda Watkins finished with a team-high 21 assists.
UCF fell behind only once in the match, which came at 6-5 in the first set, a deficit that was quickly erased.
The first set was a tight affair, as the Black and Gold could not create more than a three-point lead in the early stages. At 11-8, Kills by Kristina Fisher and Alli Sabol, along with an ace from Bright, pushed UCF out to an insurmountable lead. Bright and Fisher combined for nine kills in the frame, as the Knights hit .452.
Jumping out to a 5-2 lead out of the gates in the second, Jeanne Westney took over at the net, recording five of her six kills on the afternoon. Taylor Wickey tallied four kills on four attempts to lead the Knights to a .419 clip in the frame.
The UCF attack slowed down in the final frame, notching 12 kills on 41 attempts with just a pair of errors. UVA cut the lead down to two on a pair of occasions, but the Knights responded to extend the gap.
FOUR-MATCH WINNING STREAK
• The Knights are on their longest winning streak of the season,
• During the streak, the Black and Gold have averaged a .307 attack percentage and held opponents to .134.
• Fisher has powered the offense with 3.62 kills per set, followed by Bright and Sabol at 2.92 and 2.46, respectively.
BLOCK STIFLES UVA ATTACK
• UCF finished with eight blocks in the three-set match.
• Bright tallied the lone block solo, in addition to Sabol and Anne-Marie Watson rejecting four ball on assisted blocks.
• The Knights have outblocked opponents in 10 matches this season with a 7-3 record.
FOUR PLAYERS FINISH ABOVE .400
• For the second straight match, the Knights dominated on the offensive end.
• Wickey recorded a career-high .889 attack percentage.
• Westney, Sabol and Fisher added clips above .400.
• The seven errors were the fewest since the Knights committed six at East Carolina on Oct. 12, 2014.
DAGENAIS DIALOGUE
Head coach Todd Dagenais after the match.
On sweeping Virginia twice this weekend…
"I really loved our consistency this weekend, especially on the offensive side of the ball. We did not start off as hot on defense as I wanted to open. After challenging our team to hold Virginia in the opening set of each match, we really held their hitting percentage down to a manageable number. To finish with more kills and less errors than yesterday and have two sets in excess of .400 is something we haven't done all year."
On how the non-conference season prepared the team for conference play…
"I'm happy where we are, but not satisfied. We can still grow, and I look forward to watching that growth take place, because it will be exciting when it happens. In terms of all the new players and underclassmen on the floor, I'm pleased with the things that we have done well."
On the four-match winning streak…
"I think our success has come from the leadership of the leadership group, which includes Alli Sabol, Taylor Wickey, Jordan Pingel and Kia Bright. They've kept everyone organized. We switched around some responsibilities in the office. Jenny Maurer is in charge of offense, Brian Doyon works with the defense and I have taken over serving. We made that change after the Arkansas State game. Does that have something to do with it? I don't know, but it probably doesn't hurt."
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