ORLANDO – The Knights came out strong in the second match of the UCF Challenge Friday evening, defeating Mississippi State in four sets (25-15, 25-17, 21-25, 25-19) in The Venue.
“What a complete game for us, we knew going in they were going to be a physical team,” said head coach Jenny Maurer. “I was proud of our defense effort tonight and felt that we made some good adjustments.”
UCF (5-0) recorded 60 kills on the night along with 62 digs, 10 blocks and 13 service aces while forcing Mississippi State (3-1) into 18 attacking miscues for a .153 percentage. Emily Wilson boasted a stellar performance with a career-high 16 kills. Abby Hansen recorded 11 kills along with three solo blocks. Abby Schomers led the offense with 46 assists while Chloe Scheer put up 19 digs on the defensive side.
At the beginning of the first set, the Knights and Bulldogs battled before UCF took control, eventually building a 10-point lead. Outpacing their opponents defensively, the Knights racked up four blocks compared to the Bulldogs' zero. Claudia Dillon tallied three kills, leading the way with an attack percentage of .750.
The momentum continued into the second set, when the Knights continued their pace. UCF had five service aces, including a pair from Dillon. The Knights and Bulldogs battled to a 2-2 deadlock before a kill from Hansen ignited a 3-0 run to give the Knights an early 5-2 lead. The Knights paced their way through the rest of the set with Kaitlyn Grimes ending it with a service ace, 25-17.
The Black and Gold got out to an early 2-0 lead in the third frame with back-to-back kills from Avah Armour. The Bulldogs fought back to go on a 7-0 run, taking the lead for the first time in the match. Mississippi State continued its momentum to force a fourth set earning the 25-21 set win.
The Knights and the Bulldogs traded points back and forth through a 15-15 deadlock in the fourth when back-to-back kills from Hansen sparked a 5-0 run to take the score 19-15. UCF went on a 6-3 run to close out the match, 25-19.
The Black and Gold will return to action on Saturday as they take on Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m. in The Venue for the third match of the UCF Challenge.