Houston Volleyball Falls to UCF in Five-Set Thriller Despite Strong Performance at the Net
ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Houston Volleyball team battled fiercely but ultimately fell to UCF in a 3-2 decision (21-25, 25-21, 25-20, 17-25, 15-17) on Saturday. Despite a dominant blocking performance led by middle blocker Kenna Morin, who tallied 10 blocks, the Cougars were unable to close out the match against a resilient Knights squad.
Houston responded decisively in the second set after falling behind 3-1. The Cougars rattled off a 10-0 run to take the lead and ultimately won the set 25-21. they maintained momentum in the third, utilizing 4-0 and 7-0 runs to build a significant advantage and secure a 25-20 victory. Houston forced 12 attack errors from UCF in the third set, holding them to a -.029 hitting efficiency, while outside hitter Tatyana Reid contributed six kills.
UCF seized control in the fourth set with an 11-1 run, establishing a 12-3 lead and ultimately winning 25-17 to force a decisive fifth set.
The fifth set was a back-and-forth affair. UCF started with a 5-1 run, but Houston answered with a 5-0 run of its own, tying the score at 10-10. The Cougars even reached match point at 14-12, but a 5-1 run from the Knights secured the set 17-15 and the match 3-2.
Morin’s 10 blocks led a Houston defense that out-blocked UCF 16.0-13.0, marking the 14th time this season the Cougars have surpassed their opponent in blocks. Reid recorded her 45th career match with 10-or-more kills and her ninth of the season. Setter Kate Torres-Rivera collected her 10th match of the season in double-digits for digs and her fourth career match with 20-or-more.
Houston has now forced 30-or-more errors from its opponent four times this season.
The Cougars will next travel to Morgantown for a match against West Virginia on October 30, with first serve slated for 5 p.m. CT.
