The UCF volleyball team came up short against Colorado on Sunday afternoon in The Venue.
The Knights (8-5, 1-4) recorded 67 kills and 63 digs while the Buffalo (9-8, 2-3) only tallied 63 kills and 56 digs. Emily Wilson led the Knights, recording a career-high 23 kills. Heidi Bonde put up an additional 15 kills while both Alexia Kuehl and Britt Carlson added on with 10 kills each. Abby Schomers ran the offense with 26 assists, also tallying her third double-double of the season with 12 digs. Mya Ball followed up with 25 assists, a career-high for her. Chloe Scheer recorded her 13th double-digit dig game of the season with 22 digs.
The first set was a battle from the jump, consisting of eight ties and three lead changes. Although the Knights got on the board first with a kill from Wilson, the Buffs answered immediately. The teams fought back and forth until a three-point run from Colorado would put them up 6-4. Ready to fight for the set, a kill from Bonde would tie the game back up at 6-6. A run from the Buffaloes gave them the 10-7 lead but once again the Black and Gold fought, tying it up for the fifth time at 10-10. Points would continue to be traded until Colorado could go on a four-point run going up 19-15. After a timeout, the Knights were able to recoup and come back out to go on a three-point run, closing the scoring gap to one (18-19). The set would be a battle to the close but ultimately, Colorado would take it 25-21.
UCF started the set strong with a kill from Kuehl, but like the first, Colorado was able to knot it up quickly at 2-2. Ball would serve up her first ace of the season putting the Knights up, 5-2. The Buffalo responded, going on a five-point run to take the lead, 8-6. A kill from Megan Holland would put the Knights back within one (10-9), but the Buffs would hang on tight to the lead. However, four back-to-back kills from the Knights would put them back on top at 15-13. Holding the momentum, UCF went on a five-point run to put them up by six, 20-14. A push late in the set put Colorado back on the heels of the home team, however, it wouldn’t be enough and the Knights took set two 25-21.
Although UCF started set three with a service error, kills from Bonde and Kuehl followed by an ace from Wilson would turn things around early (4-4). After a run from Colorado, two back-row kills from Wilson broke the Knights’ scoring drought, 10-6. Even so, the Black and Gold struggled to push forward as Colorado would take the lead, 16-10. Bonde’s ninth kill of the day would hold the gap at six, 19-13. The Knights went on a scoring run late in the set, but it wasn’t enough to take down the Buffs giving them the third set 25-18.
Two UCF kills helped the Knights get up to an early 4-2 start in the fourth set. The Knights’ defensive game would be tough to break early, only allowing the Buffs to sneak in three points against their seven puttingthem up, 11-5. A five-point run from Colorado got them back in the game, closing in at, 13-10. Kuehl recorded her 10th kill of the day to keep UCF in the lead 16-12. But, the Buffs wouldn’t let go easily and fought hard to pick up points to tie the game, 19-19. The final five points of the set would be a nail-biter with four ties and two lead changes. However, an ace from Wilson gave the Knights the set, 25-23.
Set five would open with three ties but the Knights would fight tooth and nail to keep the lead, 5-4. Two more tie-ups would follow, but a three-point run from Colorado would put them up by two at the time of the side change, 8-6. Wilson recorded her 22nd kill of the day to bring the score to 12-10 but in the end, Colorado would take the final set 15-11.
UCF will travel to West Virginia for a midweek matchup Oct. 16 at 7 p.m.
