WACO, Texas – Despite winning the first set, No. 24 UCF volleyball saw its unbeaten steak in Big 12 Conference play end on Saturday, as the Knights were defeated for the first time in conference action by No. 21 Baylor, 3-1 (25-20, 26-28, 19-25, 16-25), inside the Ferrell Center.
The Knights (16-3, 7-1 Big 12) recorded six blocks while Baylor (11-7, 5-3) came away with 63 kills, 57 digs and six service aces. Emily Wilson led the match with 21 kills and notched her seventh double-double of the season with 10 digs. Claudia Dillon tallied nine kills with a .467 hitting percentage. Avah Armour added eight kills while Abby Hansen and Lauren Clark each recorded six. On the defensive side, Chloe Scheer tied for the match high with 15 digs and one ace. Abby Schomers continued to run the offense dishing out 41 assists.
“I was pleased with our preparation and execution out of the gates, said head coach Jenny Maurer. “It’s never easy to go on the road and make a statement, especially against a consistent, nationally ranked team with so many decorated players. Our goals remain unchanged and tomorrow is another opportunity to execute.”
The Knights and Bears traded points to open the match until an 11-11 tie when UCF answered with back-to-back kills to gain a three-point lead, 15-12. Baylor chipped away at the Knights' lead to knot it at 15. A 3-0 run ignited by a kill from Armour gave the Black and Gold the lead, 18-15. UCF kept ahold of the lead to earn the set win, 25-20. UCF came out firing with 16 kills on 37 attacks to hit for a .324 clip.
Another back-and-forth set ensued in the second, as both teams rallied with a total of 25 ties. A timeout from the Bears at 26-25 changed the momentum, as they went on a 3-0 run to win the second set, 26-28.
Baylor continued its momentum into the third frame to jump out to a 4-0 lead. The Black and Gold cut the Bears' lead in half, 4-2 but were unable to succumb as Baylor held onto the lead to take the third set, 25-19.
With the set knotted at three, Baylor went on a 6-1 run to gain the lead, 9-4. The Knights fought back with a 6-2 run to get within one, 12-11. BU answered back with a 5-0 scoring spurt to push the score to 17-11. The Bears controlled the lead to win the set, 25-16, and the match, 3-1.
The Knights will have a quick turnaround in Waco, as they will be back in the Ferrell Center for round two with the Bears on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. on ESPN.