ORLANDO – The UCF softball team rose one spot in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 as well as the ESPN/USA Softball polls, checking in at No. 23 and No. 24 this week. Both are a season high for the Black and Gold. The Knights also cracked back into D1Softball and Softball America's polls, also sitting at No. 23 and No. 24. All four rankings are the highest of the season in each respective poll for the Knights.
The Black and Gold have hung around the edge of the top 25 all season. They began the campaign by being the first team listed inn the receiving votes section of the NFCA poll while checking in one spot lower in USA Softball's rankings. After topping No. 12 Georgia in the first game of the season, the Knights jumped to 24th in both major polls as well as D1Softball, along with being 25th in Softball America.
Week two saw UCF go back to receiving votes in both major polls, only to return to the same spots at 24 and 25 respectively. The same cycle happened again in weeks four and five as the Knights leaped back into the top 25 after a 7-0 trip through California.
This week is the first time since week one that the Knights have been ranked in all four polls recognized by the NCAA.
UCF is 15th in the NCAA's RPI. They debuted at 19 in the first ranking released in week four and remained there in week five. UCF's next three opponents are all ranked inside the top 50 of the RPI with South Florida checking in at No. 42, Florida sitting at No. 10 and Virginia Tech one spot from the top at No. 2.
In other polls, the Knights check in at No. 16 in Extra Innings Softball's rankings this week, jumping three spots this week.
UP NEXT
The Knights will open American Athletic Conference play as they pay a visit to their rivals on the other side of I-4 in the Bulls. The series at South Florida starts on Friday at 4 p.m., followed by contests on Saturday and Sunday at 6 p.m. and 4 p.m. respectively.
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