ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF volleyball team capped a perfect weekend on Sunday afternoon with a 3-0 victory over Houston (25-19, 25-14, 25-14). The Knights (15-13, 8-8) were relentless on defense, holding the Cougars (10-14, 6-10) to a season-low .000 hitting percentage.
UCF never allowed the visitors to find their rhythm offensively, forcing Houston into hitting percentages of .037, -.028 and .000 in all three sets. The Knights were led at the net by Taylor Wickey's six blocks. Kia Bright and Anne-Marie Watson both added a pair of rejections. Jordan Pingel's match-high 24 digs played a huge role in limiting the Cougars to 22 kills for the entire match, including just five in the opening set.
Kia Bright put on a clinic on the offense end. The redshirt senior hammered 19 kills with just three errors for a .410 hitting percentage. Watson followed with seven kills. The middle duo of Jeanne Westney and Taylor Wickey performed when called upon a handful of occasions, combining for a flawless seven kills on 14 swings.
SETTING THE TONE EARLY
• The Knights opened the match with a 10-4 run.
• Bright drilled seven kills, as the Black and Gold struck for 16 kills.
• Houston managed just five kills for their lone set hitting above .000.
• The Cougars managed to cut the lead down to one at 18-17, but UCF rolled a 6-2 run to win the game.
Little bit of a ? pump by Wickey as we take a 17-15 lead! #ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/TWXvJ5HumF
— UCF Volleyball (@UCF_Volleyball) November 12, 2017
Jeanne with the stuff at the net ?????
— UCF Volleyball (@UCF_Volleyball) November 12, 2017
We're up 10-4 in the first!#ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/Rhd9KoEZbG
TOTAL CONTROL
• Saturday's match featured three ties and one lead change.
• After Houston took its only lead at 2-0 in the second, the Knights went on a 16-4 run.
• By the time UCF scored its 10th point in each set, the Black and Gold had at least a four-point lead.
• The Knight outhit Houston by an average of 294 percentage points each of the sets.
• The Black and Gold stymied the Cougar attack to five kills in the first, nine in the second and eight in the third.
Kia gets ?? for that one!
— UCF Volleyball (@UCF_Volleyball) November 12, 2017
We lead 15-6 in the second ?? pic.twitter.com/Apz1KJYJi2
We go up by ?? at the break ??
— UCF Volleyball (@UCF_Volleyball) November 12, 2017
25-14 second set winners!#ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/jHzpaIHsoo
HONORING THE GREATS
Welcome Lucy McDaniel and Laura Smith to the Ring of Honor ??#ChargeOn pic.twitter.com/PkctJGfeyW
— UCF Volleyball (@UCF_Volleyball) November 12, 2017
• UCF unveiled its 2017 Ring of Honor class featuring Lucy McDaniel and Laura Smith.
• McDaniel was the first coach in program history and won a school record 236 games, along with the 1978 AIAW National Championship.
• Smith was a member of the Smith's championship squad and an All-American in 1978. She returned to her alma mater to lead the Knights from 1991-97 to win
• Sunday was also Military Appreciation Day and Parents' Day at UCF.
UP NEXT
The Knights face their penultimate road weekend at Temple and UConn next weekend.
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