ORLANDO - Following a pair of strong wins against Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic, the Knights dropped the weekend-finale Sunday afternoon, falling to Brown in four sets.
The Bears (3-3) jumped out to an early lead before prevailing in a 62-point second set that saw multiple lead changes down the stretch. While UCF (7-2) was able to grab the third, it proved to be too little, too late.
This match really shows the power of serve and pass, which has been quite favorable for us over these past eight matches, but today was quite the opposite. Brown was great from the service line and handled our pressure extremely well and forced us on our heels throughout the game.
Matt BotsfordHead CoachQUICK HITS
KNIGHTS INVITATIONAL HONORS
UCF claimed its second tournament victory of the season, taking the tiebreaker with Arkansas State, who also went 2-1 after defeating the Red Wolves on Friday. Armour secured MVP after authoring a brilliant weekend offensively, highlighted by a career-high 25 points and five aces against the Owls on Saturday.
English represented the Black and Gold on the All-Tournament team after a 34-kill weekend. Her defensive efforts continue to highlight her all-around game, tallying 40 digs across the three contests.
MVP: Avah Armour (OH) - UCF
All-Tournament Team
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bears started the first set hot with three unanswered kills, but the Knights quickly responded by shaving the deficit down kill by kill, heavily aided by aggressive play from Thompson and Chapman.
However, the visitors pulled away late as its pins continued to find scoring opportunities, forcing the Knights to play from behind for the first time this weekend.
The second set opened similarly, with the two teams responding to each kill with one of their own. Issues from the service line, which was a theme of the Knights’ performance this afternoon, allowed the Bears to grow a late lead. Forced to take a timeout, UCF responded with two immediate unanswered kills, causing Brown to regroup with a timeout of its own.
After a bagel in the opening set, Armour came alive in the second, notching 11 kills to keep her squad competitive. While the Knights seemed to be finding their footing, a pair of successful Brown challenges turned the tide, leading to a 32-30 result in the Bears’ favor.
Showing signs of growing confidence in the second, UCF responded to a difficult stretch resoundingly, dominating Brown to claim the third set, 25-17. Another six kills from Armour, along with sustained pressure at the nets, put the hosts back in the contest.
A back-and-forth start to the fourth eventually got out of the Knights’ control, with five service errors gifting Brown multiple opportunities to take advantage, which it did. The Bears claimed the set and match, 25-16.
UP NEXT
The Knights will strive to respond as they open Big 12 conference play against No. 20 Baylor on Tuesday. First serve is set for 6 p.m. at The Venue.
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.
