AMES, Iowa - In the second of two difficult away bouts, the UCF volleyball team fell in four sets Saturday afternoon against Iowa State at the Hilton Coliseum.
The Knights (10-5, 1-3) jumped out to an early lead, though the Cyclones (13-2, 3-1) responded with three-straight sets in front of their home faithful. Efforts from the UCF bench, especially sophomore Fallon Stewart, gave the Black and Gold opportunities down the stretch; however, the hosts fended off multiple runs to claim the contest.
The serve and pass game dictated much of the match today and unfortunately we weren’t able to overcome some of those deficiencies. While I thought the group managed well on the defensive end, our sideout game was not good enough and we will have to clean that up moving forward.
Matt BotsfordHead CoachQUICK HITS
HOW IT HAPPENED
While each side exchanged blows early on, feeling out a pair of the Big 12’s best attacking groups, the Knights inched out to a four-point lead before the hosts leveled with a four-point swing of their own.
Out of a UCF timeout, a series of lead changes spelled the next phase of the opening game, eventually leading to a Cyclones set-point. No stranger to facing such a situation, a service error from Iowa State sparked a brilliant run of play for the Black and Gold.
A block from Abby Schomers and Ella Chapman set the stage for Fallon Stewart, who continues to be a reliable force off the bench for Botsford and his squad. Smooth service from Schomers found Stewart for a pair of kills, including the set-winner and tiebreak triumph, 27-25.
In line with the first 30 minutes of action in Ames, not much separated the two teams in the second set. Consistent production from Stewart and Avah Armour supplied the Knights for the time being; however, a Cyclones surge saw the hosts go on a 10-point run to level the bout at one apiece.
Iowa State continued to apply the pressure in the third, putting the Knights back up against the wall. Down as much as eight, the Black and Gold found their form with multiple spells of balanced play from the attack and defense. A four-point stretch, which included multiple aces from Stewart, forced a Cyclone timeout at 23-22.
While UCF found the leveler after a successful challenge, Iowa State weathered the storm and doubled its lead in the contest, 25-23.
A difficult result didn’t dismay the Knights, as they held an early lead in the fourth set, in part due to great blocking efforts from Thompson and company. In the end, Iowa State’s attack found ways to score, in large part due to Alea Goolsby, who clinched the match for her squad, 25-18.
UP NEXT
The Knights will open a critical three-match homestand on Thursday, welcoming No. 12 TCU to The Venue. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
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 in the program's 50th Anniversary Season. 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.
