QUICK HITS
- Freshman Mikayla Porter played extended time in the win, securing a high in her young career with 27 assists to go along with a pair of aces.
- Fellow first-year Alexa Haley got the start once again and improved upon her performance yesterday with a team-leading 19 digs, a career-high for the Florida native.
- After boasting 14 blocks on Friday to surpass 400 for her career, Reaghan Thompson tallied another seven against Alabama, marking the third time in four games the senior has paced the Knights.
- UCF’s defense was stifling once again, securing its ninth game this season holding opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
A theme throughout the Knights’ non-conference slate has been their ability to control opening sets from start to finish. Tonight, UCF’s 3-0 lead out of the gates never wavered, with reinforcements both on offense and defense halting any attempt for Alabama to get back in the game.
While the Black and Gold surprisingly didn’t record an ace during the first set, their defense continued to carry them to an eventual 25-18 triumph.
In the second, Alabama met the Knights with continued service pressure and went toe-to-toe deep into the set. A pair of lead changes and nine ties throughout saw the Crimson Tide prevail, leveling the dual with a 25-23 set-two win.
The two teams continued their stalemate into the third set. Armour began to enforce her presence with kills early on, keeping the Knights in the mix as the media timeout arrived. With just a one-point lead late into the set, the Knights pulled away with a pair of Thompson kills and Armour’s continued offensive force, ending the third with seven kills.
After jumping back into the lead, the momentum never wavered in the fourth, swiftly claiming a 7-0 lead with English at the service line. Six Knights would record a kill en route to a runaway win to take the match, 25-16.
UP NEXT
Having already opened conference play earlier this week, the Knights will now embark on their full Big 12 slate with non-conference in the rear-view mirror. UCF and Cincinnati will face off Wednesday night at The Venue, with first serve set for 6 p.m.
