QUICK HITS
- The sweep marked the sixth against a Big 12 opponent since joining the conference in 2023, also shifting the all-time series with Cincinnati to a comfortable 19-10 record.
- Skylar English matched her season-high of 16 kills in her most efficient night in Black and Gold, boasting a remarkable .500 hitting percentage with 16 kills on just 28 attempts. The outing stands as her eighth match recording double-digit kills this season.
- English continued her perfect streak to start the season with at least one service ace a match. Sitting at 12 straight, the FGCU transfer continues to strengthen her hold as the NCAA leader (38) and active DI career leader (210)
- Freshman Alexa Haley started her third consecutive contest, once again leading a composed back row with 12 digs. The Naples, Florida, native has tallied 10 or more digs in each of her starts this season.
- Avah Armour’s consistency in attack has been a driving factor for one of the league’s best offenses, with the junior recording her 11th double-digit kill performance of the season. For reference, Armour has secured 10 or more kills in a match more times than she hasn’t since making her collegiate debut in 2023, with 39 10-plus-kill outings in 63 career matches.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It was nearly impossible to find something that went wrong for the Knights across a dominating opening set win. The Knights hit a remarkable .429, siding out at a 68% rate and tallying four times the kills as the Bearcats (16 to four).
A familiar, eager pace at the service line helps lift UCF out of a back-and-forth affair to commence action, forcing an early Cincinnati timeout at 10-5, before withholding the pressure to cause yet another Bearcats timeout at 15-8. Five kills from English were a glimpse at what was to come from the fifth year throughout the match, while three digs from four Knights left no room on the court unchecked.
The Black and Gold were emphatic in their defense during the second set, causing Cincinnati to yet another set of sub-.200 hitting. A highlight came just as the Knights were starting to pull away, with freshman Sarah Mendoza diving for an eye-catching dig before Armour concluded the sequence with a forceful kill to grow the lead to five.
While a Bearcat timeout saw the visitors chip away at the deficit, especially with increased presence at the net, the Knights didn’t waver, fending off the surge courtesy a set-winner from Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week Reaghan Thompson off an assist from freshman Mikayla Porter.
Striving to land what had been an exceptional performance across the first two sets, UCF charged ahead with a balanced display in the third. Four kills apiece from the middle blockers, Sasha Cohen and Ella Chapman, complemented their best side-out percentage of the night, nixing the Bearcats at a 70% clip.
Off the stat sheet, UCF’s three blocks represented its lowest total of the year, though Cincinnati’s subpar hitting percentage and minuscule 23 kills said all that was needed for the blockers. Fittingly, the Knights found the match-winner off a forceful block from Chapman and Porter, putting a cap on a great night at The Venue.
UP NEXT
The Black and Gold will embark on their first Big 12 road trip with a two-match swing, first at Colorado next Thursday, October 2, before venturing to Iowa State for a Saturday, October 4, meeting.
