Final Match Book | Season Stats | AAC Only Stats | Career Stats

ORLANDO, Fla. – In a match between two of the top teams in the American Athletic Conference, SMU suffered a four-set setback against No. 24 UCF in The Venue at UCF Friday.
 
With huge momentum swings, the pendulum swung in favor of the Knights over the final two games.
 
After falling behind 17-5 and burning both timeouts in game one, SMU sliced the deficit to five at 23-18, with a 13-6 spurt. The Knights called a stoppage and held off the guest, earning two of the next three rallies for a 1-0 advantage.
 
Despite dropping the opener, SMU road the momentum to a 20-14 advantage when UCF burned its second and final timeout of the game. After the break, Jantry Lamirand dropped in an ace, but they needed a stoppage after hemorrhaging off the next four points. Kills from Jamison Wheeler, Natalie Perdue and an attack error from the home side provided SMU with six-set points. Alex Glover slammed home the winner, evening the contest at intermission.
 
Regaining the advantage, UCF expanded its 9-6 edge to eight, with an 11-6 spurt and forcing another stoppage by the guest. A 4-1 run after the break gave the Knights 12-set points, which SMU staved off five before an error at the service line secured the game for UCF.
 
Poised to close out the match, the Mustangs fought off a potential knockout blow, moving in front by eight with six in a row. The Knights slowed the charge with a timeout at 22-19. An ace by Perdue trimmed the margin to 23-21 but a pair of kills by UCF closed out the contest.
 
TEAM RECORDS AND SERIES NOTES
SMU fell to 17-8 overall, including 10-3 in the AAC, while the Knights improved to 20-1, 12-1.

• The Mustangs lead the all-time series 14-10, including 8-5 in Orlando.
  • UCF extended its winning streak to eight, dating back to Oct. 18, 2018.
• SMU dropped 15 sets in succession to the Knights, before taking the second game.
• This is the final match between the teams as members of the American Athletic Conference.

 
TEAM RECORDS AND NOTES

• The setback snapped the Mustangs winning streak at five.
• SMU held the Knights to their seventh lowest hitting percentage and forced them into the fifth-most errors this season.
• The 11.0 team blocks rank second by an UCF opponent this season.

 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Sophomore OH Jamison Wheeler tallied 15 kills, 11 digs, four service aces and two blocks.
  • She registered a double-double for the third-straight game and the 12^th this season.
  • Wheeler matched her career high in aces, set at Memphis Oct. 26.
• Sophomore OH Natalie Perdue recorded 10 kills, six digs and a block.
• Junior S Celia Cullen notched 33 assists, with eight digs and three blocks.
  • She totaled at least 10 assists in 23 of 25 games this season.
• Senior MB London Austin-Roark factored in nine of the team's 11.0 blocks, with four kills and an ace.
  • She became the third Mustang with at least 25 service aces this season.
• Graduate transfer OPP Marieke van der Mark added three kills and four blocks.
• Graduate transfer libero Tatum Ticknor finished with seven assists, six digs and an ace.
• Senior MB Alex Glover chipped in three kills and two blocks.
• Freshman OH Jentry Lamirand dropped in two aces, with eight digs.
• Senior OH Jadyn Bauss netted two kills and eight digs.
• Senior OH Rachel Woulfe recorded two kills and one block.
• Sophomore MB Kaitlyn Knobbe recorded a kill.

                    
UP NEXT                                                                                                                                                             
The Mustangs trek west to the Gulf Coast for a matchup against USF, concluding the finale of the two-match road trip across the Sunshine State at 12 p.m. CT Sunday.