Colorado Thriller
A thrilling five-set contest at Colorado last Thursday saw both teams exchange match points before a late Buffaloes challenge turned the tide for the hosts... The 240 points between the squads (25-21, 32-30, 17-25, 23-25, 20-22) marked the most in a single match for the Knights since a August 25, 2007, dual with Chattanooga went 258 total points... UCF set season-highs in kills (74), attempts (182), assists (68), blocks (15) and points (95.5)... UCF’s 74 kills were the most in a match since tallying 76 in a five-set bout with Tulsa on Nov. 14, 2014, while Avah Armour (30 kills) and Skylar English (20 kills) became the first pair of Knights to secure 20+ kills in the same match since Angelica Crump (22) and DeLaina Sarden (20) did so against Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 7, 2013.
Armour Up
After another stellar season in 2024, which saw her lead the Knights in kills (277) and points (324.5), Armour was tabbed to the Big 12 Volleyball Preseason Team (one of 18 athletes), voted upon by the league’s head coaches... through 15 matches, the Colorado native has backed up the expectations with team-leading efforts on offense.... In front of her family, Armour secured a career-high 30 kills against the Buffaloes in Boulder, the most by a Knight since McKenna Melville did so against Georgia on Sept. 11, 2021, while becoming just the 18th in program history to record 30 or more kills in a single match... The junior tallied a combined 43 kills across the two matches at Colorado and Iowa State, the most in a two-match stretch in her career... Armour has secured 10 or more kills in a match more times than she hasn’t since making her collegiate debut in 2023, with 41 10-plus-kill outings in 65 career matches... Armour ranked ninth in the Big 12 with 4.06 kills per set, while ranking eighth in points per set with 4.56 to her name, each lead the Knights and rank among the top-100 in the nation.
Reaghan Makes History
For the first time in program history, a Knight has secured a Big 12 weekly honor... Announced by the league office on Sept. 23, Reaghan Thompson secured Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after a brilliant weekend at the Crimson Classic in Tuscaloosa... The Texas native tallied a season-high 12 blocks against Memphis, the most by a Knight since Nerissa Moravec’s 14 blocks at Houston on Nov. 26, 2021... Moreover, the total propelled Thompson past 400 career blocks, becoming one of 11 active DI players with 400-plus to their name... Her total of 12 against the Tigers propelled the Knights to 14 team blocks during the win, the most in a single-match since another 14-block performance at Houston on Nov. 4, 2023... While her defensive efforts secured her the weekly defensive honor, her attacking ability is what makes her one of one... Thompson is the only active DI player with 800-plus kills (873) and 400-plus blocks (429) in her career.
English 101
English is the nation’s most prolific server, leading the NCAA with 38 service aces through 13 matches, also leading in aces per set (0.87)... the position is fitting to English as she’ll also the active DI leader in career aces (213), having suprassed the 200-mark with a career-high nine aces against Memphis, matching the UCF program record set by Lorin Lukas on Sept. 16, 2006, against Troy... English’s offensive prowess doesn’t end at the service line, as her 3.30 kills per set rank second on the team and 13th in the Big 12, while 4.34 points per set rank ninth in the conference and second on UCF... Her nine aces against Memphis were the second-most by a player in the NCAA this season in a four-set match, trailing only Alabama’s Hannah Parant, who totaled 10 of her own against the Tigers the day prior.
Enjoy the Schow
Embarking on her fourth season with UCF as the longest-tenured Knight on the roster, Abby Schomers has been brilliant through the opening stretch, totaling 473 assists through 15 matches... She tallied an even 100 assists during the opening weekend, including 42 against Chattanooga, the Nebraska native averaged 10 per set en route to being named Black & Gold Classic Most Valuable Player... In Miami, a 50-assist performance at FIU marked the second most in a four-set match in her career... The Nebraska native ranks 6th in the Big 12 in assists per set (9.27) and seventh in total assists (473)... Schomers also continued her climb up the record books, jumping one spot to fifth with her current career total of 2,499.
