ORLANDO (UCFKnights.com) – As the UCF volleyball team continues its preparations for the 2019 campaign, the preseason praise has begun as the Knights are receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 preseason poll.
The Knights were the fourth team sitting just outside the Top 25 in the preseason rankings, which were announced on Tuesday.
UCF earned the first Top 25 ranking in program history last season, debuting at No. 25 on Oct. 22. The Knights spent the final seven weeks in the poll, including three at No. 21, before closing out the 2018 campaign at No. 25.
The release of the preseason poll reaffirms UCF's strength of schedule as the Knights face six teams that appeared in the preseason poll.
The Knights face a pair of ranked foes at the Redbird Classic, opening against No. 16 Marquette before taking on No. 6 Illinois in Normal, Ill.
UCF’s slated also features four squads receiving votes in the preseason poll. The Black and Gold take on Rice in the opening weekend before hosting South Carolina and Kansas at the UCF Challenge.
The Knights were one of two American Athletic Conference squads to earn recognition in the preseason poll as Cincinnati was also among the teams receiving votes.
UCF returns to the court on Aug. 30 at the Rebel Classic, hosted by Ole Miss. The Knights return five starters, including AVCA All-American and American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year McKenna Melville.