QUICK HITS
- Armour tallied her fifth 20-plus-kill performance of the season, with each coming in Big 12 play. One of the most potent players in the conference, the junior has boasted double-digit kills in all but three contests this year.
- Skylar English produced one of her best outings in Black and Gold, clinching her sixth double-double of the campaign and her second-most kills as a Knight (17).
- Starting her first collegiate match, Mikayla Porter was outstanding throughout, unsurprisingly securing a career-high 43 assists, while also making her presence known on the defensive end with 16 digs and six blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Four different Knights found quick kills to open action against the Wildcats, setting the tone for the offense that shone in the first set. English found her swing immediately, with her three kills; however, Kansas State responded with five of six points to cut the UCF lead down to one and force a Botsford timeout.
Out of the break, it was all Black and Gold, siding out at a high right gifted the visitors room to work, which paved the way for both the attack and defense to make their marks. Timely blocks and multiple Avah Armour kills down the stretch secured the Knights with a commanding 25-19 set-one win.
Neither side could separate itself from one another in the second, as both hit below .200. The Wildcats grew a three-point lead on multiple occasions, though each time they were met with clutch plays from the Knights. At 17-14 K-State, an Armour kill, followed by a block from both her and Reaghan Thompson, turned the tide and forced a timeout from the hosts.
The floodgates had opened, and after kills from the aforementioned tandem saw yet another Wildcat timeout, this time with a 19-17 UCF advantage. An English kill preceded an attacking error from the hosts to double the Black and Gold’s set tally, 25-20, after taking 11 of the final 14 points.
As in the previous game, the Knights hung in with Kansas State as it looked to grab the momentum back in its corner. Armour’s offensive prowess propelled the squad to level the contest at 11 apiece. The Wildcats hit back and took four straight points to force a timeout from UCF, later adding to their total to cut their deficit in half, 25-20.
It was more of the same for K-State in the fourth, taking control of the set from the jump to even Wednesday Night’s matchup and put the home crowd’s volume back at a high level. With two freshmen at both setter and libero, it was hard to notice in a back-and-forth deciding set.
Even at six-all, four lead changes brought the contest to 13-12 UCF, enough for the Wildcats to call a timeout. They returned the favor out of the break with two consecutive points to welcome the dual's first match point and a Black and Gold timeout. After fending off the potential winner courtesy of Armour’s 21st kill of the night, Chapman fired one of her own before Armour returned to the service line and picked her spot to secure the vital victory for her group.
UP NEXT
With plenty to play for, the Knights will make the short trip to Lawrence for their regular-season finale at No. 13 Kansas on Saturday at 2 p.m. EST.
