ORLANDO - The UCF volleyball team came up short against Colorado, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon in The Venue. After the Buffaloes took a 2-1 lead in the match, the Knights countered by winning the fourth set to force a decisive fifth set before falling in a five-set battle.
The Knights (8-6, 1-4 Big 12) recorded 67 kills and 63 digs, while the Buffaloes (9-8, 2-3) tallied 63 kills and 56 digs. Emily Wilson led the Knights, recording a career-high 23 kills. Heidi Bonde put up an additional 15 kills, while both Alexia Kuehl and Britt Carlson added on with 10 kills each. Abby Schomers ran the offense with 26 assists and tallied her third double-double of the season with 12 digs. Mya Ball split time with Schomers at the setter position and had a career-high 25 assists. Chloe Scheer recorded her 13th double-digit dig performance of the season with 22.
The first set was a battle from the jump, consisting of eight ties and three lead changes. Although the Knights got on the board first with a kill from Wilson, the Buffs answered immediately. The teams fought back and forth until a three-point run from Colorado put them up 6-4. A kill from Bonde tied the set at 6-6. A run from the Buffaloes gave them the 10-7 lead but once again the Black and Gold fought, tying it up for the fifth time at 10-10. Points would continue to be traded until Colorado went on a four-point run to go up 19-15. After a timeout, the Knights were able to recoup and come back out to go on a three-point run, closing the scoring gap to one (19-18). The set was a battle to the close but ultimately, Colorado would take it 25-21.
UCF started the set strong with a kill from Kuehl, but like the first, Colorado was able to knot it up quickly at 2-2. Ball would served up her first ace of the season putting the Knights up, 5-2. The Buffaloes responded, going on a five-point run to take the lead, 8-6. A kill from Megan Holland put the Knights back within one (10-9), but the Buffs held on. However, four consecutive kills from the Knights put them back on top at 15-13. Holding the momentum, UCF went on a five-point run to put the squad up by six, 20-14. A push late in the set put Colorado back on the heels of the home team, however, it wasn't enough and the Knights took set two 25-21.
Although UCF started set three with a service error, kills from Bonde and Kuehl followed by an ace from Wilson turned things around early (4-4). After a run from Colorado, two back-row kills from Wilson broke the Knights’ scoring drought, 10-6. Even so, the Black and Gold struggled to push forward as Colorado took the lead, 16-10. Bonde’s ninth kill of the day trimmed the gap to six, 19-13. The Knights went on a scoring run late in the set, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Buffs giving them the third set 25-18.
Two UCF kills helped the Knights jump out to an early 4-2 lead in the fourth set. A five-point run from Colorado got them back in the set at 13-10. Kuehl recorded her 10th kill of the day to keep UCF in the lead 16-12. The final five points of the set would be a nail-biter with four ties and two lead changes. However, an ace from Wilson gave the Knights the set, 25-23.
In the final set, UCF grabbed a 5-3 lead following a block from Bonde and Kuehl. A 4-0 run from Colorado forced a Knights timeout at 9-6. Wilson’s 22nd kill of the match cut the deficit to two, 12-10, but consecutive points for Colorado followed as the Buffaloes went on to win the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.
UCF travels to West Virginia for a midweek matchup Wednesday, Oct. 16. First serve is set for 7 p.m. inside WVU Coliseum.