ORLANDO- UCF reached for the stars in its first space game of the season Saturday night, blasting past Florida Atlantic in a four-set victory (25-23, 25-11, 26-28, 25-16) in front of a packed crowd at The Venue.
A career night from Avah Armour, paired with yet another balanced attacking performance from the ‘Nauts, propelled UCF (7-1) past a gritty Owls (5-4) squad.
A lot of good to take away, but I think we need to play cleaner at the end of sets, just to make sure we're continuing to progress. Avah Armour was phenomenal, that was quite a performance from an attacking and serving standpoint, adding that to what Skylar brings from the service line can really cause opponents problems.
Matt BotsfordHead CoachQUICK HITS
HOW IT HAPPENED
After sweeping Arkansas State on Friday, the ‘Nauts entered the match with sky-high momentum. Armour wasted no time getting UCF up and running, notching early kills before eventually racking up six in the first set.
English added fuel to the fire, securing an ace to grow the ‘Nauts lead late in the first, 24-22. Thompson sealed the deal, clinching the first set at 25-23 with a decisive final point.
The second set was more of the same, with UCF’s attack soaring as Armour and English took control, combining for a dominant performance to suffocate Florida Atlantic. Armour added seven more kills, consistently set up by Abby Schomers, who tallied 42 on the night. FAU burned two timeouts trying to recalibrate, but UCF cruised to a commanding 25-11 second-set win.
Set three turned into a zero-gravity dogfight. Ella Chapman ignited UCF with five early points, while the ‘Nauts’ defense featured key double blocks from Schomers and Sasha Cohen, as well as Chapman and Thompson. A solo block from Thompson led into a brilliant run from English at the service line, taking back the lead with an ace at 25-24. FAU refused to crash, however, tying the match at 25-all before Erin Morrissey clinched the set for the Owls.
Launching into the fourth set, the ‘Nauts regrouped and jumped out to a comfortable advantage. UCF dominated with English delivering critical kills and Cohen continuing to be a force at the net. A successful challenge brought UCF to match point at 24-12, and English fittingly delivered the final kill off an assist from Alexa Haley.
UP NEXT
UCF will be back at the Venue on Sunday at 1 p.m. to face Brown.
SINGLE GAME AND SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
UCF volleyball single-match and season tickets are on sale now. Be sure to catch all the action starting Aug. 29 as the Knights return to action. Tickets can be purchased online at ucfknights.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.
