PROVO, Utah — No. 17 BYU women's volleyball fell to UCF (25-27, 21-25, 25-17, 21-25) in four sets on Wednesday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.
The Cougars (17-5, 5-5 Big 12) were out-hit (.112 to .301), out-killed (56 to 43) and out-attacked (116 to 123) by the Knights in the contest. They had 12 aces to UCF's three, and just five service errors the the Knights' 17, but had 30 attack errors to UCF's 19.
BYU was led by freshman Suli Davis, who posted 19 kills, eight digs, four assists and two blocks. The outside hitter recorded a team-high .256 hitting clip in the matchup.
Sophia Callahan marked eight kills and Alex Bower had 30 assists, reaching the 2,000-assist mark on her career. Lulu Uluave led the match in digs with 11, and Brielle Kemavor had a match-high seven blocks.
Set One
BYU claimed the first two points of the match before UCF went on a 6-1 run to take a three-point lead. Two errors, a Callahan kill and an Elli Mortensen ace put the Cougars back in front, 7-6. The teams traded points until the Knights went on a 3-0 run sparked by two errors and an ace.
With three consecutive aces, Bower led a 5-0 spurt to regain the lead and make it 14-11. After a 3-1 UCF run, kills from Kemavor and Davis helped BYU maintain its lead at 20-16. The Knights didn’t allow the Cougars’ advantage to last long, taking the next four points to tie the set.
A UCF attack error put BYU back up by one, but the Knights answered with a 3-1 run to take a 23-22 lead. The teams tied again at 24-24 before Hannah Billeter served an ace to give the Cougars set point at 25-24. UCF tied it once more and added two straight points to take the first set, 27-25.
Set Two
A UCF service error put the Cougars on the board first, but the Knights responded with three straight points to take a 3-1 lead. A Claire Little Chambers ace and Kemavor kill fueled a 3-0 BYU run to regain a one-point advantage. Four-consecutive points for the Knights forced a BYU timeout with the score 7-4, UCF. Out of the break, two kills and a Cougar attack error helped UCF extend its lead to 10-4.
The Cougars answered with a 6-2 run powered by kills from Kemavor, Davis and Little Chambers, narrowing the gap to 12-10 and prompting a UCF timeout. After the break, two UCF errors and two more kills from Little Chambers gave BYU a 14-12 lead. Following a Knight kill, a Callahan finish and two UCF errors capped a 7-1 Cougar surge.
UCF responded with a 4-1 run to pull within one at 18-17, forcing another BYU timeout. The Knights then added five more points, led by three consecutive kills, to take a 22-18 advantage. The teams traded points until UCF reached set point at 24-20. A Davis kill staved off one, but a Cougar error closed out the set for the Knights, 25-21.
Set Three
Both sides traded points early until the score was tied at 3. Callahan recorded a kill and Mortensen followed with her second ace of the night to put the Cougars ahead, 5-3. After a UCF kill, BYU extended its lead to 8-4, highlighted by kills from Davis and Bower, prompting a Knight timeout.
Out of the break, the next eight points were a flurry of kills on both sides, with Davis tallying three to push the Cougars’ advantage to five. The teams continued to exchange points, but BYU maintained control, holding a six-point lead at 20-14.
The Cougars stretched the margin to seven at 23-16, and a Kemavor kill brought up set point. UCF held off one attempt, but BYU closed it out for a 25-17 set win. The Cougars hit .481 in the frame compared to the Knights’ .296.
Set Four
The Knights opened the fourth set with back-to-back kills before a Callahan kill and a Davis ace tied it at two. UCF responded with four straight points, three coming off Cougar errors.
After a Mortensen kill, Elena Wallace delivered back-to-back aces, the first of her career, and Davis followed with another kill to even the score at six. The Knights answered with a 4-1 run to regain a three-point advantage.
Two consecutive UCF kills extended the lead to four. The teams traded 2-0 runs, but the Knights stayed in front until two straight UCF errors cut the margin to one at 16-15. The score remained tight until a 3-1 UCF push forced a BYU timeout at 22-18.
Out of the break, the Knights stayed in control and reached set point. The Cougars held off one attempt, but UCF closed out the set and match, 25-21.
Up Next
BYU returns to the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Oct. 31 for a Halloween matchup against Kansas State. The game is set for 6 p.m. MDT and will be streamed on ESPN+.