Delaina Sarden and Taylor Gallart combined for 46 kills on the evening as the UCF volleyball team swept through the final day of the UCF Invitational by defeating Alabama State (25-19, 25-15, 25-13) and UAPB (25-12, 25-11, 25-16), Saturday at The Venue at UCF.

The Knights (3-1) finished second in the tournament and return to action next Friday as they take on Elon on the opening day of the Holiday Inn Select UCF Classic.

UCF 3, Alabama State 0 – Box Score

UFC put together a balanced performance on both sides of the net in its opening contest as it hit .377 for the match while holding the Hornets (1-3) to just an .078 clip. The Black and Gold ratcheted up the defensive intensity up in the final game as Alabama State hit -.167 and recorded just six kills.

Sarden continued her dominant weekend with 15 kills on 21 swings with just a pair of errors in the opening match. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native also recorded five blocks for the third-consecutive match. Gallart made her first-career start as a Knight and responded with a strong all-around effort, tallying eight kills, four digs and one service ace. Senior defensive specialist Roxy Mendez was a steady presence on the back row with a team-high six digs.

UCF 3, UAPB 0 – Box Score

The Black and Gold were remarkably efficient in the night cap as they hit .456 as a team and committed just eight errors overall. UCF was especially strong in the serve and receive game as they racked up a season-high 12 service aces while only allowing one against.

The nightcap featured an interesting family dynamic for the Knights as freshman Shelby Foyer went head-to-head against her older sister, Jordan, a junior setter for the Lady Lions (0-4). Foyer, who has seen extensive playing time early in the season on the back row and in serve/receive, finished the match with three service aces and six digs. Gallart topped her efforts earlier in the day, leading all players with 13 kills on 23 swings for a .552 attack percentage. The Germantown, Md., native also chipped in with four service aces and a pair of digs.

UCF Invitational Standings

  1. Valparaiso 4-0
  2. UCF 3-1
  3. North Florida 2-2
  4. Alabama State 1-3
  5. UAPB 0-4

UCF Invitational All-Tournament Team

  • Sarah Dooms* – Valparaiso
  • Morganne Longoria – Valparaiso
  • Ellen Vanden Berg – Valparaiso
  • Delaina Sarden – UCF
  • Marie Reiterova – UCF
  • Anna Budinski – North Florida

    • *Tournament MVP