NORMAL, Ill. (UCFKnights.com) – UCF Volleyball (6-3) lost to Illinois State (7-1) in five sets on Saturday evening (25-20, 21-25, 25-15, 24-26, 10-15) at the Redbird Classic in Normal, Ill. The Knights finished 1-2 at the Redbird Classic, where they defeated No. 14 Illinois earlier in the day.
"We knew it was going to be a tough weekend coming in." UCF head coach Todd Dagenais said. "Having to play two top-fifteen teams and then having to turn around and play a host team that doesn't lose on their floor hardly ever. We knew it was going to be a challenge. The more often that we are put in these pressure situations, the better we are going to be."
UCF standouts from the match included McKenna Melville, who turned in her third double-double performance of the weekend, registering 17 kills to go along with 14 digs. Meanwhile, Kristina Fisher had nine digs and 12 kills while Anne-Marie Watson recorded 11 kills and eight blocks.
From the defensive side, Makenzie Kuchmaner led the way for both sides on the night with 23 digs. She also had six assists.
The loss was the third of the year for the Knights, who played their last three matches in a little over a 24-hour window. They will return home to host the Sunshine State Classic at The Venue in Orlando, Florida next weekend. They open with FGCU at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, followed by Miami and FAU on Saturday.
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FIRST SET
The Knights came out of the gates hot in the first set, going up two points before the Redbirds had an answer. The two teams were neck and neck for much of the first set and were all tied up at 17 apiece before UCF began to pull away. The Black and Gold went on a 8-3 run to finish off the set strong and win it 25-20.
SECOND SET
UCF looked to be in control once again in the second set, jumping out to an early 7-2 lead to start things off, but the Redbirds continued to show fight and battled back to tie it at 14. From there, the two sides battled back and forth until Illinois State went on a 9-2 run to secure the 25-21 set victory.
THIRD SET
With each team having a set under their belt, UCF took control of the third set early, going up 9-2 after a couple of Illinois State errors and a pair of service aces from the Knights. The Black and Gold did not relinquish their lead, going on to win the set, 25-21, to go up 2-1 over Illinois State.
FOURTH SET
The fourth set was close from start to finish, with neither side pulling away by more than three points and the lead changing hands six times. Kuchmaner led the way defensively for the Knights with eight digs, but it wasn't enough as Illinois State went on to win the set 26-24.
FIFTH SET
A fifth set was needed to determine the winner on Saturday, as both sides had fought hard to that point to claim two sets each. Illinois State took the first point of the set following a kill from Sydney Holt, and the Redbirds would not let go of their lead, going on to win the fifth set, 15-10, and the match.
DAGENAIS DIALOGUE
On the outcome of the match:
"I think being in tight situations, in a hard environment, against a team that is fearless, and being able to rise to the level that that other team is rising to. I thought Illinois State played absolutely fearless, and I thought for much of the match, we matched their intensity, but ultimately, when it came down to it, their fearlessness won out and I thought Illinois State performed wonderfully."
On the bright spots of the match:
"I thought there was a lot of good things this weekend. I thought our serving game really came along. I thought we put teams in a position to make it a lot harder to score against us. I thought at times our offense was on fire and at other times, it was inconsistent. I thought defensively, we broke down a couple times, but then other times I thought we were solid. I think it comes down to performing at a consistent level."
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UP NEXT
The Knights will return home to host the Sunshine State Classic at The Venue in Orlando, Florida next weekend. They open with FGCU at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, followed by Miami and FAU on Saturday.
