Volleyball Secures Road Sweep in Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Knights secured a three-set victory over Cincinnati on Friday night, sweeping the Bearcats after falling to the same opponent in straight sets earlier this season in Orlando. UCF bested the Bearcats at Fifth Third Arena, 25-23, 25-22, 25-22.

Avah Armour led the Black and Gold with 16 kills, while Kiki Horne followed with 15 kills on a .714 hitting percentage without a single attack error. Abby Schomers directed the Knights’ attack with 35 assists, helping UCF finish with 51 kills on the night.

QUICK HITS

• The Knights recorded 8 service aces on the night, led by Fallon Stewart and Alexa Haley with three apiece
• Kiki Horne and Avah Armour combined for 31 of UCF’s 51 kills, accounting for over 60% of the Knights’ offense. 
• The Knights secured their first road victory over Cincinnati since Sept. 22, 2023 when they swept the Bearcats in three sets.
• Avah Armour recorded her 1500th career point in the opening set, the lone Knight on the roster to achieve such a feat.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Kiki Horne got things started for the Knights with back-to-back kills before consecutive service aces from Fallow Stewart gave UCF a 9-7 advantage. The Knights followed with a six-point run that carried through a Cincinnati timeout to take control of the opening set. The Bearcats answered with six points over the next seven rallies before Avah Armour ended the run, senior Setter Abby Schomers closed out the frame with her third kill of the frame, while Horne and Armour led the Knights with five and four kills, respectively

The teams traded points early in the second set before Alexa Haley stepped to the service line, guiding the Knights on a four-point run to take a four-point lead. Cincinnati responded with a four-point run of its own before Armour broke the streak heading into the media timeout. The two sides continued to battle until Fallon Stweart recorded her third ace of the night, followed by another Armour kill to push the Black and Gold’s lead to three. The Bearcats rallied to even the score at 23, but a kill and service ace from Natasha Casey secured the second set for the Knights. UCF finished the frame with 13 kills and five aces.

Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead in the third set, taking an 8-2 advantage through the opening ten points. The Knights battled back to even the score led by Horne, Armour and Andrea Simovski, who each contributed two kills. Cincinnati answered with four consecutive points, but UCF answered with three straight of its own to keep the set within reach. The Knights tied the set at 19 before taking control down the stretch, scoring six of the final 10 points behind contributions from different Knights to complete the sweep over Cincinnati on the road.

Up Next

UCF will close out its road schedule at West Virginia on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in Morgantown, W.V.

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.