ORLANDO - The UCF Volleyball team defeated Miami by a score of 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 13-25, 25-22, 15-12), in the Venue on Saturday evening.
The Knights showcased their toughness but were unable to overcome the Hurricanes in their first set, losing 25-21. UCF and Miami were tied four times, but the Knights were never able to take the lead from the Hurricanes.
UCF got off to a better start in the second set, racing ahead to a 5-0 lead prompting Miami to call a timeout. The Knights continued their hot start, leading 9-0 before Miami scored their first point. UCF pushed through, winning the second set 25-17. The Knights bounced back in set two, increasing their hitting percentage from .086 to .438.
With the match being tied 1-1, the Knights got off to a slow start that was similar to set one. They continued to battle but dropped set three 25-13.
The fourth set was closely contested where the Knights came out on top 25-23. In the first three sets there were zero lead changes, but four in the fourth set alone along with 14 ties. Abby Hansen showed up huge in the fourth set with four kills, two of them earning the 23rd and 24th points of the game.
The Knights won the fifth and final set 15-12, the game had Knight nation on the edge of their seats. Kari Zumach had five kills in the fifth set, with a .500 kill percentage.
Right before the sides switched, Miami seemingly took a 9-8 lead, but after a lengthy review the call was overturned, and the Knights took the 9-8 lead and never relinquished it.
Zumach surpassed her season-high in kills, accumulating 19 in five sets with a staggering .516 kill percentage. Abby Hansen contributed with 13 kills and nine blocks. McKenna Melville continues to close in on the school record with 19 kills including the match-winning kill. Melville also dominated defensively with a team-high 14 digs.
Knight Nation continues to show its support for UCF Volleyball with an electric crowd that helped the Knights beat the Hurricanes today. 1,429 is the second highest regular season attendance in program history.
The Knights will look to continue their undefeated record tomorrow night as they face off against UIC at 5:00 pm. UIC defeated Miami 3-1 on Friday but lost to UNCW 3-2 earlier today.