CONWAY, Ark. (UCFKnights.com) – Outside hitter Kia Bright became the 12th player in UCF Volleyball history to reach 1,000 kills in a career on Friday afternoon.
The redshirt senior only needed seven in the opening match against Oral Roberts to join the elite club, as the Knight fell to the Golden Eagles and Arkansas State on the first day of the UCA Classic. The Starke, Fla., native led the way offensively for the Black and Gold (3-5) in both matches.
In the opener, UCF started with a 25-20 first set victory, but ORU (2-6) rallied to win three straight 27-25, 25-19, 25-21. Bright tallied 13 kills, 13 digs and three block solos, while Jordan Pingel added 13 digs.
After tying the nightcap heading into the intermission against Arkansas State, the Knights could not keep up with the Red Wolves out of the break, dropping the match 25-21, 21-25, 25-17, 25-23.
A trio of players for the Black and Gold finished with double-digit kills. Bright went for 19, and freshmen Kristina Fisher and Anne-Marie Watson chipped in with 11 and 10, respectively. Pingel recorded a team-high 18 digs. Erin Olson tallied her third double-double of the season with a season-high 29 assists and 12 digs.
A THOUSAND KILLS FOR KIA
• Kia Bright notched the milestone point in the second set on a kill from Erin Olson.
• Bright becomes the seventh player in the Todd Dagenais era to reach 1,000 kills.
• The redshirt senior has 126 kills this season at a career best .262 clip.
The Knights will be back in action on Saturday to close out its 10-match road swing to start the year. UCF will face host Central Arkansas at 1:30 p.m., before squaring off with Southern at 4:30 p.m.
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).