Sierra Humphreys to play against sister KK for first time when Knights meet DucksSierra Humphreys to play against sister KK for first time when Knights meet Ducks

Sierra Humphreys to play against sister KK for first time when Knights meet Ducks

by Ryan Ladika

ORLANDO – To one member of the UCF softball team, the squad’s Thursday evening Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic matchup against the Oregon Ducks represents more than simply the program’s fourth contest against a power five opponent this spring.

For Knights freshman infielder Sierra ‘CC’ Humphreys, it’s a family affair.

When the Corona, California, native takes the field for UCF’s Thursday nightcap against the Ducks in Cathedral City, California, she’ll do so playing against her older sister, KK, for the first time in her softball playing career.

Senior infielder KK Humphreys, a transfer from Cal State Fullerton following her freshman year with the Titans, is in the midst of her third season with Oregon, having appeared in and started 10 of the Ducks’ 11 games this spring and 113 of her 115 games in Eugene.

The infielder is a career .309/.367/.529 hitter with 57 extra-base hits, 252 total bases and 91 RBI in three-plus seasons, and her 14 stolen bases a season ago were good for a share of fourth most in the Pac-12. She also swatted a pair of homers during last year’s Mary Nutter, against then-No. 3 Florida and then-No. 24 Missouri.

“It’s definitely been a long talk within my family, we’ve been talking smack to each other and all that. It’s been fun."

CC Humphreyson the upcoming matchup with KK Humphreys and the Ducks

The sisters’ meeting at the Mary Nutter has long been circled on the family’s calendar since the announcement of the teams’ 2024 schedules, especially after the two were robbed by the COVID-19 pandemic of their chance to play together at Centennial High School when CC was a freshman during KK’s senior season.

“Obviously I was excited to play her [this weekend] because she’s my sister,” CC continued. “In high school we were supposed to play together, but that was the COVID year, so we only played about three games together. Now that we’re able to play against each other, we’re very competitive sisters and we’re really excited for that.”

The siblings’ on-field family ties date back to their respective high school playing careers even in spite of the pandemic that cut short their time shared as high school teammates.

The two both played under Centennial head coach and mother Krista Humphreys, who in her own playing career won three national championships with the Arizona Wildcats in 1993, 1994 and 1996 and was tabbed a second team NFCA All-American infielder/outfielder in 1996.

Both CC and KK played basketball in addition to softball growing up as well, and both chose softball when the time came to make a decision between the two.

The guidance of Krista and KK throughout CC’s childhood and high school tenure proved vital in her own on-field development on the road toward eventually representing a key component of the Knights’ 2024 freshman class, ranked 16th in the nation by Extra Inning Softball on National Signing Day in November 2022.

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“Growing up we were compared a lot, which pushed me away from going to her about certain things because I wanted to be my own person,” CC recalled. “Playing for the same coaches, I would go to her about certain situations, but normally it was about mental stuff.

“If I was going through a slump either in hitting or fielding, she would come to me and remind me it’s a sport built on failure. She would help me with my mental aspects more than my physical stuff.”

The two took on a competitive edge growing up and playing softball at the same time, and both quickly learned the importance of leaning on each other throughout the highs and lows of their experiences within the sport not just for their developmental benefits, but for the good of their relationship as sisters as well.

“We weren’t as close growing up because we would fight about being compared to each other, but as we both grew into our own person, we became closer and knew each other better and knew how to react with each other,” CC added. “We got closer throughout the years, especially going through the same situations.”

When the two face off against each other for the first time Thursday, they’ll do it with the support of their family cheering them both on from the stands.

“My dad, my mom, my younger sister and my grandma will all be there,” CC said. “I was trying to make them pick a side and go for us, but they said they’re going to stay in the middle. They made custom shirts that are half UCF, half Oregon. It’s going to be fun to see that.”

UP NEXT

The Knights face off against Mississippi State and Oregon Thursday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET to open play at the 2024 Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California. UCF will then match up with Missouri and Oregon State Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 p.m. ET, and conclude tournament play Saturday against Tennessee at 8 p.m. ET and San Diego at 10:30 p.m. ET.

All games will be streamed exclusively on FloSoftball.

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