ORLANDO - The UCF volleyball team is set for its regular-season finale road trip this week, with contests at Kansas State and No. 13 Kansas on the road.
The squad will strive to conclude head coach Matt Botsford's first season in style and potentially secure their third-ranked win of the season.
Cyclone Chasers
For the second time in program history, the Knights swept a ranked opponent, defeating No. 24 Iowa State on Senior Day in Orlando. Marking the eighth-ranked win in program history, Botsford becomes the first head coach in program history to defeat multiple ranked opponents during his first season in charge. The first time UCF swept a ranked opponent came back in 2011, toppling No. 3 USC, while the second top-25 victory of the season marks just the second time the program has achieved multiple ranked wins in a single season since 2022. After sweeping Houston on Wednesday, the back-to-back sweeps mark the first in consecutive home matches in Big 12 play since joining the conference in 2023.
Lexi’s Career Week
Freshman Alexa Haley was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after a brilliant week, aiding in UCF’s sweeps over Houston and No. 24 Iowa State. The freshman tallied 32 combined digs across the matches, leading the Knights’ back row, which held both teams to sub-.200 hitting percentage and just 10.8 kills per set. The Cyclones entered the match third in the conference in hitting percentage (0.256) and first in kills per set (14.29), though against Haley and the UCF defense, they registered just 39 kills and a minimal 0.174 hitting percentage (second-lowest this season). The Naples native took over libero duties before conference play, and has since shown why, tallying 10 or more digs in 12 of her last 14 contests. Lexi’s weekly honor is the third by a Knight this season, joining Reaghan Thompson (Defensive, Sept. 23) and Avah Armour (Offensive, Oct. 28) as the only player to have claimed Big 12 weekly honors since joining the conference in 2023. Moreover, Haley is the only freshman in the Big 12 this season to have won an offensive or defensive weekly honor and the first to do so since Baylor’s Kyndal Stowers won offensive player of the week on Sept. 12, 2023. Moreover, she is the first freshman to win Big 12 defensive player of the week since Oklahoma’s Callie Kemohah on Oct. 5, 2021.
Ranked Dub in Utah
Last week in Provo, the Knights toppled No. 17 BYU in four sets, dominating the Cougars throughout. The win marked the first ranked victory for the Knights since 2022 and the first as a member of the Big 12. The performance was the seventh ranked win in program history and the fourth-highest all-time. UCF’s last ranked win came against No. 22 Houston on Nov. 22, 2022, to clinch a share of The American regular-season title. Battling on the road, the Knights also handed BYU just its 16th home loss in the last 11 years.
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.