September 9, 2011

ORLANDO, Fla. – UNCG fell to host UCF in its first match of the day, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 26-24), but rallied to defeat Florida Atlantic in the nightcap, 3-2 (19-25, 25-16, 25-16, 22-25, 15-12), on the first day of the UCF Invitational on Friday.

The Spartans are now 4-5 on the young season, while the Knights improved to 6-1 and the Owls fell to 0-6.

Against UCF, Morgan Freeman had a team-high 10 kills and added a match-high eight kills for the Spartans, while Kelsey Sidney and Karrian Chambers each added seven kills apiece.

The Knights were led by Angelica Crump who had a match-high 16 kills and .433 hitting percentage. Evija Vilde, Kalya Keller and Tory McCutcheon also had nine kills each in the winning effort.

In the opening set, the two teams played close, although the Knights never trailed in the set. UNCG pulled within 14-12 on a UCF attack error, but the Knights responded with an 8-2 run to open up a 22-14 advantage. The Spartans weren't able to cut it closer than five points the rest of the set as they dropped the set, 25-19.

The second set was much closer as there were 13 ties and eight lead changes. The Spartans found themselves holding on to a narrow 17-16 late in the set, but UCF was able to take a 20-18 lead. UNCG would cut the deficit down to one at 21-20 on a kill by Sidney, but the Knights won the final four points to win the set, 25-20, and take a 2-0 lead into intermission.

The final set was just as close as the two sides were tied at 23 in the later stages of the match. A kill by Crump for UCF gave the Knights match point at 24-23, but UNCG answered with a kill by Freeman to tie the set at 24. UCF then got a kill from Crump and took advantage of a Spartan attack error to win the set, 26-24, and the match, 3-0.

In the win against FAU, Ariel Newman had a match-high 16 kills and 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the year. Chambers had her fourth double-double, as well, as she recorded 12 kills and added 11 digs. Freshman Chelsea Evans had a season-high 10 kills for the Spartans, while classmate Emily McMurtrey also had a double-double with 17 assists and 10 digs.

Georgia Robinson led the Owls with 13 kills and Darija Sataric and Thacilli Pereira had 11 and 10 kills, respectively.

In the first set, the two teams were tied at 14 midway through the set before FAU opened up a 20-15 lead en route to claiming the set, 25-19.

The Spartans responded in the second set as they led for nearly the entire set. UNCG led just 11-8 after an Owl timeout, but closed out the set on a 14-8 run to win the set easily, 25-16.

The third set was similar to the second set for UNCG as they led early and held a 14-11 lead in the set. Once again, the Spartans closed on a run as they took 11 of the final 16 points to take another set by the score of 25-16.

Trailing 2-1 in the match, the Owls used a 5-1 run in the early parts of the set to jump out to a 15-9 advantage. The Spartans would come back to cut it down to 24-22 on a FAU attack error, but a kill by Pereira gave the Owls the set, 25-22, to force a fifth and final set.

In the final set, FAU raced out to a 6-2 lead after an Owl block. The Spartans rallied to eventually tie the set at nine on a kill by Chambers. With FAU holding a 12-11 lead, UNCG got a kill and two blocks from Freeman to win the final four points and win the set, 15-12.

The Spartans will continue their stay at the UCF Invitational on Saturday as they play Pittsburgh at 4 p.m.

AGATE

UCF def. UNCG 25-19, 25-20, 26-24

UNCG (3-5) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Morgan Freeman 10-2-8; Karrian Chambers 7-0-2; Kelsey Sidney 7-0-3; Ariel Newman 4-0-4; Ari Lysacek 1-0-2; Holland Hoefnagel 1-0-1; Kellie Orewiler 0-1-0; Totals 30-3-11.0. (Assists) - Ari Lysacek 28. (Dig leaders) - Kellie Orewiler 13; Karrian Chambers 10; Ariel Newman 8

UCF (6-1) (Kills-aces-blocks) - CRUMP, Angelica 16-0-1; KELLER, Kayla 9-0-2; McCUTCHEON, Tory 9-1-2; VILDE, Evija 9-1-0; GREEN, Kaye-Alese 2-0-0; RIEDEL, Nichole 2-0-0; VUKSON, Rachel 1-0-0; HARRISON, Dani 0-2-0; Totals 48-4-3.0. (Assists) - VUKSON, Rachel 44. (Dig leaders) - MURPHY, Meredith 12; MENDEZ, Roxy 11; HARRISON, Dani 9; VUKSON, Rachel 9

Site: Orlando, Fla. (The Venue at UCF)
Date: Sep 09, 2011   Attend:     Time: 1:31  
Referees: Terry Bush, Terri Narantic

UNCG def. FAU 19-25, 25-16, 25-16, 22-25, 15-12

FAU (0-6) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Georgia Robinson 13-0-2; Darija Sataric 11-0-0; Thacilli Pereira 10-3-3; Sara Stoll 6-0-5; Chandler Hatton 6-0-6; Alessia Pizzocheri 1-0-0; Madison Lang 1-0-3; Isabelle Arboleda 0-0-1; Totals 48-3-11.0. (Assists) - Madison Lang 34. (Dig leaders) - Cintia Nightingale 11; Grace Vega 8

UNCG (4-5) (Kills-aces-blocks) - Ariel Newman 16-3-2; Karrian Chambers 12-1-2; Chelsea Evans 10-0-1; Morgan Freeman 8-1-4; Kelsey Sidney 5-0-4; Ari Lysacek 4-0-1; Emily McMurtrey 1-1-0; Kellie Orewiler 0-4-0; Totals 56-10-8.0. (Assists) - Ari Lysacek 28; Emily McMurtrey 17. (Dig leaders) - Kellie Orewiler 14; Karrian Chambers 11; Emily McMurtrey 10; Ariel Newman 10

Site: Orlando, Fla. (The Venue at UCF)
Date: Sep 09, 2011   Attend:     Time: 1:55  
Referees: Terri Marantic, Terry Bush

- UNCG -