UCF Volleyball 50th Anniversary Special: 2018 with Anne-Marie Watson

In the first of a program-defining five-peat to conclude its time in the American Athletic Conference, the 2018 UCF volleyball team secured multiple historic milestones.

Winning The American with an undefeated 18-0 mark in conference matches, multiple five-set contests always concluded the same way: a win. A mix of youth and experience secured the Knights an opportunity to host the NCAA Tournament first and second rounds.

A crucial player, both in 2018 and the seasons to come, Anne-Marie Watson built upon a strong freshman season. She started in 24 matches with almost half featuring at least 10 kills, while recording 127 blocks, which at the time stood 10th in program history. While the season was only her second year playing collegiate volleyball, Watson was no stranger to that level of competition.

Consistently playing a difficult non-conference schedule, the Knights opened the season with close defeats to Miami and Louisville, before a defining upset over No. 7 USC, the second-highest-ranked win in school history.

A five-set match at South Florida set the tone for a great stretch of play that turned from a multi-game winning streak to a chance at an undefeated conference slate. After clinching the title against East Carolina, the Black and Gold took care of business in their last three to achieve the feat.

Watson wasn't just motivated on the court either, as she worked for academic success through her time as a student athlete. She was able to earn her bachelor’s degree in human communications with a minor in sports business management while being recognized nationally, earning all-academic team honors on multiple occasions. Watson eventually went on to attain her MS in 2022.

Today, she works just a block away from her old stomping ground at the Roth Athletics Center, serving as an assistant director for the business and finance office.

One of the most welcome surprises that season was freshman McKenna Melville, who was originally recruited as a libero before a growth spurt in high school propelled her into becoming an outside hitter. Her talent was recognized on a national level, as she was named American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the AAC First Team.

The outside hitter had astounding stats for her first year, ranking nationally in multiple categories, including 15th in points, points per set, kills, and attacks per set, along with 14th in total kills and 16th in total attacks.

A critical voice throughout the campaign, Jordan Pingel was able to mark her name down in the record books as the lone Knight with more than 2,000 digs to their name. Through the highs and lows of the season, she held the young group together and was always there to provide motivation.

While the Knights ultimately fell to FGCU in the first round of the NCAA tournament, coached by current UCF skipper Matt Botsford, the season still stands as a record-breaking year. The full circle moment is a stark reminder of what the program can accomplish. For Botsford, his FGCU squads went on to win multiple Atlantic Sun titles in the following years, while the Knights claimed the next four AAC titles to complete a historic five-peat.

As UCF head coach, Botsford aims to bridge the multiple eras of volleyball in Orlando to push the program forward. Tomorrow night, the Black and Gold will welcome back the alumni who both built it from the ground up and reached heights that will forever live in the rafters at The Venue.