Volleyball Opens Big 12 Slate with Tuesday Tilt Against No. 21 Baylor

ORLANDO - Big 12 volleyball is back in the Kingdom as UCF is set to open conference play at The Venue Tuesday night, welcoming No. 21 Baylor for the first league match of the season.

With another action-packed weekend in the books, which saw the Black and Gold take two of three in the Knights Invitational, head coach Matt Botsford and his squad will look to establish themselves against one of the conference's best.

Baylor will make the short trip south after a difficult defeat at No. 11 Florida on Sunday. Now sitting at 5-2, the Bears were riding a four-match winning streak with sweeps over Saint Mary's and Rice, which followed contested triumphs over LSU and Northwestern. The squad is led by 11th-year head coach Ryan McGuyre, who has guided Baylor to nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.

Big 12 On Deck

While the Knights still have a pair of non-conference matches in Alabama later this week, UCF will open its third Big 12 slate Tuesday night against No. 21 Baylor at The Venue. The first conference match under head coach Matt Botsford, the Black and Gold will embark on their first ranked contest of the campaign and the 61st against a top-25 team all-time. The dual will serve as the first Big 12 matchup across the conference, as the two teams will meet a full week before the rest of the league begins play against one another. During their two prior Big 12 slates, the Knights are 2-0 in conference home openers, defeating Oklahoma 3-0 in 2023 and West Virginia 3-0 in 2024.

Tourney Two in the Books

While a weekend-finale defeat against Brown served as the first loss at home for the Knights in 2025, UCF still claimed the top spot in the second of two tournaments in Orlando. A dominating sweep of Arkansas State on Friday, who were fresh off an upset win over then-No. 15 Missouri a week prior, preceded another triumph over Florida Atlantic 3-1. Across the three contests, the Knights recorded 159 kills and 207 points, continuing their attacking dominance over opponents throughout the early stages of the season. The squad was led by performances from Avah Armour (50 kills, 61.5 points) and Skylar English (42 kills, 41.5 points), while an 80-dig outing vs. FAU on Saturday marked the most in a match since 2021, highlighting the defensive efforts from the back row. 

Milestones on Milestones

This past weekend, a duo of Knights surpassed the 1,000 mark in their respective categories. On Saturday, Sophia Kotsovolos’ season-high 20-dig performance against Florida Atlantic propelled her past 1,000 career digs, becoming one of 55 active DI players to hold four digits to their name. A day later, Skylar English reached the 1,000 kills mark with 11 against Brown, becoming one of 50 active DI players with four digits to their name. For English, she also continues her charge towards 200 career aces, as she’s the active DI leader with 193. Of note for Tuesday’s contest with the Bears, Reaghan Thompson sits just four blocks away from 400 (396), as she strives to become the seventh active DI player with 400 or more career blocks. The Northwestern State transfer has averaged just under a block per set (0.94).

Enjoy the Schow

Embarking on her fourth season with UCF as the longest-tenured Knight on the roster, Abby Schomers has been brilliant through the opening stretch, totaling 316 assists through nine matches... She allied an even 100 assists during the opening weekend, including 42 against Chattanooga, the Nebraska native averaged 10 per set en route to being named Black & Gold Classic Most Valuable Player... In Miami, a 50-assist performance at FIU marked the second most in a four-set match in her career... The Nebraska native ranks 14th in the nation in assists per set (10.53) and 37th in total assists (316)... Schomers also continued her climb up the record books, jumping one spot to seventh with her current career total of 2,342.

Armour Up

After another stellar season in 2024 which saw her lead the Knights in kills (277) and points (324.5), Armour was tabbed to the Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team (one of 18 athletes), voted upon by the league’s head coaches... through nine matches, the Colorado native has backed up the expectations with team-leading efforts on offense.... this past weekend, Armour secured MVP honors after tallying 129 kills and eight service aces, pacing the Knights with 61.5 points... Against Florida Atlantic, she set career-highs in points (25) and aces (five)... She tallied 19 kills in back-to-back contests against FAU and Brown, the most throughout a two-match stretch in her career... Among Big 12 players, she is seventh in both kills per set (4.03) and points per set (4.60).

English 101

Through her first eight matches in Black and Gold, Skylar English has been instrumental in the Knights’ hot start... The FGCU transfer leads the Big 12 in both total aces (21) and aces per set (0.78, also fifth in the nation), while ranking 10th in points per set (4.31) and 15th in kills per set (3.37)... English offered a career-day against FIU to cap off the 305 Challenge, tallying a career-high eight aces and the match-winner, the most aces in a match by a Knight since Tali Marmen secured eight of her own against East Carolina on March 5, 2021... English has led the Knights in kills/points in three of eight contests, surpassing 1,000 career kills with 34 during the Knights Invitational... She is the active DI career leader in aces (193) and fourth in aces per set (0.47).

Attacking Prowess

The Knights rank among the top-40 in four key offensive categories after two weeks of play... Their aforementioned dominance at the service line placed them 36th in the NCAA in aces per set and first in the Big 12 (21.97)... However, the most impressive asspect of UCF’s game thus far as been its efficiency, ranking 13th in the nation and fourth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.302), while also sitting 11th in the NCAA and second in the Big 12 in kills per set (14.48), and 38th in the nation and fifth in the Big 12 in assists per set (12.81)... the Knights are one of eight teams to rank among the top-15 in the NCAA in both kills per set and hitting percentage.

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.