The UCF volleyball team claimed the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament title last weekend after sweeping through the event with wins over Houston Baptist, the host Eagles and Bethune-Cookman. For their play during the event, Kristin Fisher (Clearwater, Fla.), Meredith Murphy (Austin, Texas) and Evija Vilde (Riga, Latvia) were named to the FGCU All-Tournament Team.
The Knights defeated each team 3-0 during the tournament and have now won nine-straight sets to open the season.
“I am happy that our three players were recognized for their outstanding contributions to our team,” head coach Todd Dagenais said. “It is quite unique that the team that won the tournament without dropping a set did not get an MVP, because we certainly feel that Kristin put up MVP-type numbers over the weekend. Nonetheless, we are excited to be recognized and we were happy to walk away with the team championship.”
As a team, UCF hit .294 with 135 kills, 14 service aces, 122 digs and 10 block solos to claim the FGCU Tournament crown.
Fisher earned a spot on the all-tournament team after hitting .316 with 45 kills, 48.5 points, 19 digs and three total blocks. She posted her first double-double of the year with 12 kills and 14 digs in the season-opener against Houston Baptist, before tallying match-highs with 14 kills against both Florida Gulf Coast and Bethune-Cookman. Fisher has 11-straight contests in which she has posted double-digit kills dating back to Oct. 23, 2009.
In the back row, Murphy was a consistent presence for the Black and Gold, as she led the team with 41 digs during the FGCU Tournament. The libero added six assists, five service aces and five points over the course of the weekend and has now tallied double-digit digs in 13-consectutive matches dating back to Oct. 19, 2009.
On the right side, Vilde was a perfect complement to Fisher on the left. Vilde hit .379 while contributing 33 kills, nine digs, five blocks and two service aces. She also added 38.5 points to UCF’s run at the title. The sophomore opened the tournament with a season-high .474 attack percentage with 12 kills and four digs against the Huskies, before totaling 14 kills and three blocks in Friday’s nightcap vs. FGCU. She concluded the event with seven kills and two block assists against Bethune-Cookman.
The Black and Gold continues one of its two six-match road stretches in Wilmington, N.C., at the UNC Wilmington Hilton Garden Inn/Courtyard by Marriott Classic next weekend. During the tournament, the Knights will face the host Seahawks, UNC Greensboro and South Carolina State.
Season tickets are now available for purchase for only $30 online at UCFAthletics.com or by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at (407) UCF-1000. The Knights are set to host 13 regular-season matches at The Venue at UCF this season, which includes 10 Conference USA contests.