ORLANDO - The UCF volleyball team returned home Wednesday night in emphatic fashion, sweeping Stetson in under 90 minutes, 25-17, 25-15, 25-13, at The Venue.
The Knights were led by a strong group of underclassmen, as freshman Natasha Casey stole the show once again with a career-high and team-leading 14 kills. Sophomore Nygeria Hart also tallied a career-high eight kills, with many coming from fellow second-year Mikayla Porter, who dished out a season-high 13 assists in the win.
QUICK HITS
- For the second consecutive season, the Knights held the Hatters to just 16 or fewer kills across three sets. Last season, UCF’s defense limited Stetson to just 15 kills.
- A first under head coach Matt Botsford, the Knights’ defense held the Hatters to a negative hitting percentage, with the visitors mustering a -0.11 clip
- Natasha Casey set a career high with 14 kills in the match, marking the most by a freshman since Avah Armour boasted 15 at Houston on Nov. 4, 2023
- Abby Schomers moved into fourth all-time in program history in career assists with her 29 on the night, surpassing Marie Reiterova (2010-14), with her current total of 3,170.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Knights stumbled out of the gate as Stetson took a 15-12 lead into the media timeout. While it took the UCF offense some time to click, a constant theme of the night was the Black & Gold's ability to respond, and the Knights found their stride out of the break.
A pair of kills from Armour and Casey, who’ve been constant in the UCF attack thus far, headlined an impressive 13-2 run to take the first set, 25-17.
The Black and Gold continued the blistering form into the second set, jumping out to a 12-3 lead before never looking back, limiting the Hatters to a .037 hitting percentage. A trio of kills from Sasha Cohen, along with her usual production at the net with a pair of kills, set the tone throughout the set for the Knights.
With the two-set lead, Botsford showed the depth the UCF roster contains, as true freshman Deana Petrov made her mark in the third set with two kills and a pair of blocks at the net, joining her fellow first-year Casey to put away the contest, 25-13.
UP NEXT
UCF stays home for its Saturday tilt with Virginia at 2 p.m., marking the third and final match against an ACC opponent this season for the Knights.
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.
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.