Back in the 305
UCF will embark on its first road trip under head coach Matt Botsford as it makes the short trip south to Miami, Florida, for the 305 Challenge... While it will serve as the Knights’ first trip down to Southern Florida since 2021 (Florida Atlantic), the opponents are each familiar to the program... In history, the Black and Gold have played a combined 151 matches against Stetson (72), Miami (25) and FIU (54), with their 66-6 all-time mark against the Hatters being the best winning percentage against an opponent (.917) with at least 50 matches played... The Knights have only played South Florida (88) on more occasions than Stetson.
Off to the Races
The season-opening sweep continues UCF’s formidable record to open the season. In program history, the Black and Gold are 31-19 in season-opening bouts and 23-9 when opening the season at home... UCF has claimed its last four season openers and is 11-1 dating back to 2014... It marks the fourth consecutive season the Knights have started 3-0 and are now a combined 11-2 in the last four non-conference tournaments at home.
Defended The Kingdom
The Knights swept their opening weekend, taking matches against Chattanooga (3-1), Norfolk State (3-0) and UC Riverside (3-0)... In total, UCF outscored its opposition 181 to 105, dropping just one set and claiming 9 of 10 sets by five or more points... The strong performances were led in large part by a .339 hitting percentage, which currently ranks 11th in the nation and third in the Big 12... While the offense was clicking, the Black and Gold’s defense held opponents to a minimal .095 hitting percentage, ranking 20th in the NCAA and fourth in the Big 12.
Enjoy the Schow
Embarking on her fourth season with UCF as the longest-tenured Knight on the roster, Schomers was brilliant throughout the opening-weekend sweep... Tallying an even 100 assists, including 42 against Chattanooga, the Nebraska native averaged 10 per set en route to being named Black & Gold Classic Most Valuable Player... Her 100 assists rank 70th in the nation and her per-set average ranked 44th in the NCAA... Schomers also continued her climb up the record books, jumping two spots to eighth with her current career total of 1,126.
Attacking Prowess
Six Knights tallied 10 or more kills throughout the first three matches, with Avah Armour pacing the squad with 36 kills... A marquee piece in the Knights’ efficiency, which powered the dominant wins, was Sasha Cohen, who tallied 26 kills on 36 attempts for an eye-catching .611 hitting percentage, the seventh-best mark in the country and second-best in the Big 12... Newcomers Skylar English and Reaghan Thompson each made an instant impact, with English’s 4.5 kills per set the best on the team after leading the Knights in kills against Norfolk State and UC Riverside... Thompson, one of the most versatile athletes in the nation, fired off 26 kills and a team-leading 10 blocks... Thompson’s 377 career blocks rank ninth among active players.
Botsford Era Begins
After a historic 11 seasons at FGCU, Matt Botsford embarks on his first season leading UCF volleyball... Among the winningest active coaches in the nation, Botsford led the Eagles to a combined 11 Atlantic Sun titles and five NCAA tournament appearances, all while becoming the most successful head coach in FGCU history... .773 (266-78) ranks ninth among active head coaches in career winning percentage... In the four seasons prior to his arrival, Botsford and the Eagles claimed a combined seven conference titles and advanced to the NCAA second round in 2021... This past weekend, Botsford became the second head coach to win his first three matches in program history (Jenny Maurer, 2023).
