WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - Striving to respond after its first defeat of the season, the UCF volleyball team stepped up to the challenge with a formidable sweep over Davidson, 25-19, 25-17, 25-15, in the final match of the Wake Forest Invitational.
Middle blockers Ella Chapman and Sasha Cohens stole the show, combining for 18 kills, a handful of blocks, and a presence that stunted any chance for the Wildcat attack to find its footing.
QUICK HITS
- Chapman’s .857 attacking percentage marked the second-highest in program history (minimum 10 attempts) while also matching her career-high in kills with 12.
- Natasha Casey continued her flying start to her collegiate career with another four-race match, bringing her season total to 17. The Orlando native has tallied three or more kills in three consecutive contests.
- The Knights recorded their highest hitting percentage of the season in the win (.420), marking the eighth-highest clip under Matt Botsford.
- For the first time in her career, Abby Schomers has collected at least 34 assists in six consecutive matches
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Knights jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind kills from Chapman and Stewart, along with a block from Cohen and Schomers. The middles, Chapman and Cohen, continued to pace UCF throughout the opening set, with the former tallying five kills to open a 14-9 lead.
While Davidson tallied a pair of aces to cut the advantage down to just one, a trio of kills from Chapman, along with a solo block and an Armour kill, secured the first set for the Knights, 25-19.
Chapman wasted no time in grabbing her eighth kill of the match to open the second, as she was joined by Nygeria Hart off the bench, who fired home a pair of her own to open up a 6-3 lead.
A constant theme of the weekend has been Casey’s service pressure, and a tandem of aces from the freshman opened up a 17-11 lead in the second set. Three kills from Cohen down the stretch doubled the Knights’ advantage to 25-17.
After both sides came out firing in the third, the Black and Gold put their foot on the gas, piecing together a 13-4 run to finish the match and complete the sweep, 25-15.
UP NEXT
The Knights return home for a pair of non-conference bouts, first welcoming Stetson on Wednesday, September 9, before a dual with Virginia on Saturday, September 12.
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.