MANHATTAN, Kansas – The UCF volleyball team fell 3-0 to Kansas State on Friday evening in Morgan Family Arena.
The Knights (7-4, 0-2) got off to a slow start and could not regain their footing as the Wildcats (3-8, 1-1) led the match with 47 kills, seven blocks and five aces.
Emily Wilson led the squad with 11 kills and two aces. Avah Armour and Sophia Kotsovolos led with 11 digs a piece. Armour tallied nine kills while Sasha Cohen tacked on another eight with three blocks.
An early 4-0 start for Kansas State proved to be too much for the Knights as they fought back from an eight-point deficit and came within three points, 23-20 following kills from Cohen and Armour. The Black and Gold continued to fight with a 3-0 rally, but the Wildcats eventually took the set, 25-23.
Another early start for the Wildcats caused the Knights to answer back quickly and knot the set, 2-2. K-State responded to gain a three-point lead, 7-4. Back-to-back kills from Armour tied the set at seven. As the Wildcats and Knights traded points, a ‘4-0 run gave UCF a two-point lead, 19-17. Kansas State rallied back with a 5-0 run to take back the lead, 23-20. Consecutive kills for Britt Carlson put the set in a 23-23 deadlock. The back-and-forth rally continued as K-State edged the Knights, 30-28. The second set featured 16 ties and eight lead changes.
The Wildcats with a 2-0 lead headed into the third set with the momentum and continued to fire away. A K-State service error knotted the set at two but Kansas State took the lead and never looked back earningthe 25-13 set win.
The Knights return to Orlando for a matchup against West Virginia on Wednesday, October 2 with first serve set for 7 p.m.
