ORLANDO - A balanced attack propelled the Knights to their first sweep of the season, as UCF volleyball took care of business against Stony Brook, 25-2-, 25-24, 25-22, at The Venue Saturday afternoon in match two of the Black & Gold Classic.
Six Knights boasted seven or more kills, with Sasha Cohen once again imposing herself on both sides of the net with 10 kills and eight blocks to her name. UCLA transfer Kiki Horne announced herself to the home faithful with nine kills on 17 attempts.
QUICK HITS
- Cohen has produced consecutive matches with nine or more kills and eight or more blocks for the first time in her career.
- For the first time in the Botsford era, six or more Knights surpassed at least seven kills, with Cohen (10), Horne (nine), Armour (eight), Stewart (seven), Chapman (seven) and Casey (seven) each finding their stride.
- Casey, the freshman, tallied her first three aces of her collegiate career, a team lead in the win. Two came at a crucial point down the stretch of the third set to fend off a Seawolves surge.
- With 11 blocks in the win, the Knights have pieced together back-to-back double-digit blocking nights for the fourth time in the Botsford era.
- Armour now sits just seven kills away from becoming the 15th Knight in program history to reach 1,000 career kills, while her longtime teammate Schomers also approached a milestone of her own, now just five assists away from 3,000 kills.
HOW IT HAPPENED
An offensive onslaught in the opening stages of the first set forced Stony Brook into an early timeout down 6-1, as Cohen, Armour and Stewart found kills to put the Knights in a commanding position. While the visitors began to chip away, eventually bringing the contest within one, the Black and Gold went on a seven-point run to sustain their advantage.
Consecutive kills from Horne, her second and third of the set thus far, placed the Knights up 21-13. It would be Chapman, for the third time this season, who secured the opening set with an Abby Schomers assist.
Both sides exchanged blows to open the second set, with Stony Brook taking a two-point lead into the media timeout. UCF dug in and, with timely kills from Cohen, pushed Stony Brook to the wire. At 24-all, a calculated kill from Schomers and a tag-team block from Casey and Cohen doubled the hosts’ lead to two sets to none.
The Seawolves, who split their first two matches of the weekend, showed no signs of giving up in the third, continuing to force the Knights into difficult situations. After amassing a 10-7 lead, the Knights climbed back into the set with her first of three aces in the third to level it at 10-all.
Service pressure was the name of the game in the closing stages, with Mendoza and Casey once again combining for three across four points, before Stewart put the finishing touches on a strong performance in the venue with her seventh kill of the match.
UP NEXT
The Knights and NC State Wolfpack will close the Black & Gold Classic at The Venue on Sunday at 2 p.m., with each side looking to remain perfect after taking their first two matches.
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 2026. Tickets can be purchased online at ucfknights.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
UCF volleyball single-match and season tickets are on sale now. Be sure to catch all the action in 2026. 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.
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.