ORLANDO - On the back of a dominant opening weekend at The Venue, which saw UCF volleyball drop just a set across three wins, the Knights will now venture on their first roadtrip of the 2026 season.
Setting the Stage
The Knights embark on their first road trip of the season with a three-match slate at Wake Forest. Last season, UCF went 5-1 in non-conference matches away from home, 2-0 in true away non-conference bouts, and 4-5 in Big 12 away bouts, which included a win over No. 17 BYU in Provo. While having a 1-1 record against Davidson, the Knights will look for their first win against the hosts (0-2) and Georgetown (0-1) in program history. After defeating NC State, Wake Forest is the second of three ACC teams UCF will play in the first three weeks (Virginia, Sept. 12).
Black & Gold Dominance
The Knights swept their opening weekend at home, defeating Robert Morris (3-1), Stony Brook (3-0) and NC State (3-0), outscoring them 211-146. UCF moved to 9-1 in home tournaments under Botsford and hit .363 while holding its opponents to .142. The Knights dominated the net, tallying 11 or more blocks in three-consecutive matches for the first time under Botsford.
Big 12’s Best
Avah Armour garnered Offensive Player of the Week honors after a conference-leading 5.4 kills per set and 6.4 points per set, while Sasha Cohen joined her on the Starting Seven with her Big 12-leading 2.3 blocks per set and .462 hitting percentage. Along with Armour and Cohen, sophomore libero Alexa Haley leads the Big 12 in digs with 5.4 per set and 52 total digs. As a team, the Knights lead the conference in hitting percentage (.363), kills per set (16.30), assists (146) and kills (163).
Dynamic Duo
After coming on their official recruiting visit together back on September 25, 2021, and starting their first collegiate match together on August 25, 2023, Avah Armour and Abby Schomers each reached historic milestones together on August 30, 2026, against NC State. Schomers became the fifth Knight in program history to surpass 3,000 career assists, while Armour became the 15th Knight in program history to surpass 1,000.
Knight in Shining Armour
During her season opening weekend, Armour pieced together a formidable performance, tallying 54 kills and 64 points. In the opener against Robert Morris, Armour recorded a career-high 30 points in a four-set match. After continued progression through her freshmen and sophomore seasons, Armour became one of the most prolific players in the nation throughout 2025. Last season, the Colorado native paced the Knights with a career-high 457 kills and 513 points, along with career marks in digs (208) and blocks (46). She became the 12th player in program history to eclipse the 500-point mark in a single season. Armour rose to the occasion in Big 12 play, ranking fourth in the conference with 3.75 points per set, while her 4.35 kills per set ranked seventh in the Big 12 and 32nd nationally. Playing in all 29 matches, Armour recorded 10 or more kills in 26 contests, including a stretch of 14 from Sept. 19 to Nov. 8. In front of her friends and family at Colorado, she produced a career performance, totaling 30 kills and 34.5 points as the Knights fell just short in a five-set thriller. During Big 12 play, Armour recorded three straight matches with 25 kills or more against Houston (28), Texas Tech (27) and BYU (25).
Familiar Faces
Unlike a season ago, the Knights welcome back the majority of their production from 2025, returning their starting setter (Schomers), outside (Armour), libero (Haley), and top middles (Chapman and Cohen). Three of the four players in the back-row room return (Haley, Mendoza, Moore), a pair of outsides (Stewart and Hart) and Mikayla Porter, who will continue growing alongside Schomers at setter. Overall, the Knights return 68% of kills (959 of 1,406), 96% of assists (1,228 of 1,275), 60% of aces (110 of 183), 76% of digs (1,062 of 1,404), 67% of blocks (165.5 of 245.5) and 67% of points (1,234.5 of 1,834.5). UCF’s leader in kills (Armour, 457), assists (Schomers, 893), digs (Haley, 319) and points (Armour, 513). Among Big 12 teams, the Knights rank third in returning kills, tied for third in returning attacks, first in returning assists, first in returning digs, third in returning blocks and second in returning points.
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.