AMES, Iowa - Volleyball fell in five sets Sunday afternoon against Iowa State, 25-17, 18-25, 19-25, 26-24, 15-13, at the Hilton Coliseum.
A few service errors early on put the Knights in a hole, as the Cyclones also met UCF at the net with physician defense. Sophomore Nygeria Hart stepped up to the challenge with multiple key blocks and kills to bring it within two at 15-17.
Despite pulling within striking distance, the hosts pulled away down the stretch, concluding the opening set on an 8-2 run to take it, 25-17.
Kiki Horne set the tone in the second for the Black and Gold, firing off four kills across UCF’s first five points. Avah Armour joined the party with consecutive kills of her own as the visitors strived to level the match at one apiece.
After the Cyclones closed within two points at 14-12, the Knights put their foot on the gas and went on an 11-6 run to end the set and level the bout. Armour’s three kills across the final 10 points stamped her mark on the match.
UCF had to battle back in the third after falling down 10-6 to the resurgent Cyclones. A staple of the Knights this season has been their blocking, and when needed most, key blocks from Sasha Cohen and Armour turned the tides.
A 17-7 run to end the set and give the Knights a 2-1 lead and momentum to finish off the match in the fourth. Taking advantage of multiple Iowa State mistakes to jump out to a 9-6 lead and forcing a Cyclones timeout.
The blocking efforts from Cohen, and Chapman, who tallied multiple solos in the third and fourth set, made it challenging for the hosts to battle back. UCF put itself on the brink of taking the match at 23-18, but the Cyclones stormed back to take the set and level the bout with an 8-1 run.
In the fifth, 5-0 run from Iowa State put them up four on the Knights, and while the visitors pulled within one, the Cyclones closed out the five-setter 15-13.
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.