UCF vs. USF | UCF vs. Memphis |
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The Knights (10-6, 3-1) kick off another weekend of conference action this weekend as they travel to USF (7-11, 1-3) for another edition of the War on I-4 Friday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. They will then return home to face Memphis (11-5, 0-4) Sunday at noon at The Venue in Orlando, Fla.
LEADING IN THE WAR ON I-4
For the first time this season, the Knights take the bus down I-4 as they prepare to take on the South Florida Bulls. UCF has not lost to USF since 2012, or in over 2,600 days.
The War on I-4 has been all Knights since the two programs joined the American Athletic Conference back in 2013. Not only has UCF never lost to USF since joining The American, but they have won by a combined score of 36-7. A victory would push their streak over USF to 13 straight wins.
"Having to go to Tampa and play USF every year presents a challenge in itself," said UCF Volleyball Head Coach Todd Dagenais. "We really try hard just to make it another match. We want to remain calm, stable, assertive, in the moment, and I think if you get wrapped up in the War on I-4, I think you get out of your game… We are just going to go out there and try to maintain an even composure and try to execute a plan and play great volleyball."
THE KNIGHTS
The Knights head into the Friday night match coming off a weekend that saw them go 1-1 against Cincinnati and ECU. Through the first half of the season, UCF is off to a 10-6 start, including going 3-1 in conference play. For yet another weekend, they maintain the lead in The American in blocks per set (2.92) and are also top-three in hitting percentage (.259), assists per set (12.72) and kills per set (13.53).
McKenna Melville remains at number two in the conference with 4.23 kills per set, trailing only Cincinnati's Jordan Thompson (6.26). Meanwhile, middle blocker Nerissa Moravec sits at second in The American in blocks per set with 1.35 while Anne-Marie Watson sits fourth overall with 1.23.
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THE FIELD
USF
The Knights kick off their weekend with a Friday night match against USF. The Bulls have posted a 7-11 overall record to this point in the season and are 1-3 in conference play after dropping their last three matches. UCF has not dropped a match to USF since 2012, including winning their last time out in 2018, by a score of 3-0. Despite the Knights' recent success over the Bulls, UCF is 36-45 all-time against USF.
Memphis
The Black and Gold have gotten the better of the Tigers over the past several years as they have won the last five matches in a row and UCF leads the all-time series, 19-11. The Tigers got off to a strong start this season, winning their first eleven matches, and five of those matches featured 3-0 sweeps by the Tigers. Since Memphis's first loss, the team has dropped four in a row. The Tigers are still seeking their first win in conference play as well as they are 0-4. Standout Redshirt Senior Hannah Flowers has been the standout player to this point in the season for the Tigers, registering 235 points along with 184 kills.
DAGENAIS DIALOUGE
[On facing USF]
"Having to go to Tampa and play USF every year presents a challenge in itself. We really try hard just to make it another match. We want to remain calm, stable, assertive, in the moment, and I think if you get wrapped up in the War on I-4… I think you get out of your game… We have had a lot of long battles with them, games that have gone well beyond 25, five-game matches, and you don't know what the day is going to hold… We are going to go out there and try to maintain a very even composure and even emotional state to try to execute a plan."
[On facing Memphis]
"Memphis really has seen a resurgence under their new head coach. [Sean Burdette] has done a great job for them. I think he simplified a lot of things for them and they are responding in the win column. They had a great preseason and they have continued to be very tough to defeat. They don't give up. They don't quit. They play hard. They can score a lot of different ways and that presents problems. So, I think for us, it is going to be one of those matches where we have to win the serve and pass game and we have to win the out-of-system game. Our goal is to go out there and make it very difficult for them to beat us, and to do the things we need to do on our side of the net to be successful."
[On Improvements]
"For us, it has been all about closing, putting ourselves in a position where we are confident and assertive closing a match out. I thought, at times over the past couple of weeks, there were moments where we were playing not to lose, and UCF Volleyball plays to win. That is who we are. That has always been our identity, and so we have to go out there and play to win… we want to be assertive. If you're assertive, you're in control with that aggression, and I think that is where we want to be. That has been the focus for us. Ball control, being assertive, and managing the game."
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