UCF Press Release

November 27, 2002

ORLANDO - The UCF Golden Knights look to prepare for the NCAA Volleyball Championships this weekend as the Golden Knights host the UCF Thanksgiving Tournament Friday and Saturday at the UCF Arena. With two schools from the Southeastern Conference and a member of Conference USA visiting Orlando, this weekend's tournament should be one of the top weekends of volleyball played at the UCF Arena this season.

The tournament begins Friday Nov. 29 when SEC power Arkansas (25-6, 14-2 SEC) and Houston (18-12, 7-7 CUSA) hit the court at 4:30 p.m. UCF (21-11, 10-1 A-Sun) will tangle with Kentucky (13-16, 6-10 SEC) in the nightcap Friday at 7 p.m.

The two-day event finishes Saturday Nov. 30 as Houston and Kentucky battle at 4:30 p.m. while UCF and the Lady Razorbacks hit the court at 7 p.m. in the tournament's final match.

SEC Ya Real Soon
The Golden Knights will be facing two teams from the SEC this weekend to close out their regular season. With its match vs. Kentucky and Arkansas, UCF will have played four teams from the SEC in 2002. Earlier in the season, the Golden Knights defeated Ole Miss in four games (22-30, 30-24, 30-19, 30-19) at the UCF Classic Sept. 14. UCF also traveled to Georgia for the Outback Invitational, losing to the host Bulldogs in five games 25-30, 25-30, 31-29, 30-26, 9-15 Sept. 21 in Athens.

The Sept. 21 to Georgia was also the last time this season that UCF lost a match on the road. The Golden Knights have won seven straight away from the friendly confines of UCF Arena since that five-game defeat to Georgia.

The Series Vs. Kentucky & Arkansas 
UCF is just 1-2 all-time vs. Kentucky and 0-1 vs. the Lady Razorbacks. The last time UK and UCF hit the court was in 1998 in the second match of the season for the Golden Knights at the Purdue Premier Volleyball Tournament. The Wildcats swept the Golden Knights in three games, 9-15, 8-15, 9-15. The only win UCF has over Kentucky came in 1996 at the Kentucky Conference Challenge in Lexington. UCF won in three games vs. UK in that match, winning 15-6, 15-6, 16-14.

The only meeting between UCF and Arkansas came in 1995 at the Pizza Inn Classic in Fayetteville. The Lady Razorbacks downed the Golden Knights in four, 7-15, 15-17, 15-11, 8-15.

UCF's Title Run In The A-Sun
The Golden Knights have been the leaders of the pack in the A-Sun, winning a conference-best 10 A-Sun Championships including last weekend's thrilling five-game victory over Georgia State. Since 1992, UCF has been almost unbeatable, totaling a remarkable 24-3 record in tournament action including seven titles, with six straight coming from 1992-97.

Under head coach Meg Colado, UCF is 6-2 in tournament play, including two consecutive conference crowns. The Golden Knights also won the conference championship from 1992-97, and 1986-87. UCF was not part of the conference for volleyball from 1988-91.

We Are The Champions, Again
UCF won its 10th A-Sun title with a comeback, five-game victory over Georgia State Saturday in the A-Sun title match in Orlando. The Golden Knights trailed the match two games to one including a 19-11deficit in game four before staging the comeback. The Golden Knights pulled out the win in the fourth game before winning a sensational fifth game, 17-15, to win the title.

Three Golden Knights garnered all-tournament team honors, led by MVP Leyre Santaella Sante. The 2002 A-Sun Player-of-the-Year became just the fourth player in league history to capture both the player-of -the-year award in the conference along with the tournament MVP honor in the same season.

Santaella Sante was phenomenal down the stretch in leading UCF to the title. In the fifth and deciding game, Santaella Sante saved her best for last, leading all players with seven kills and a .667 hitting percentage. She finished the match with 24 kills and 20 digs.

Joining her on the all-tournament team were junior setter Jenny Frank and freshman outside hitter/right side Emily Watts. Frank was brilliant all weekend long, including in the title match as she recorded her fifth triple-double of the season. Frank finished with 13 kills, 58 assists and 12 digs in the title match. Watts had an unbelievable tournament, finishing with a conference record .613 hitting percentage in the semifinals vs. Jacksonville. In the JU match, Watts totaled 20 kills and finished with just one error to set the new conference record.

Leyre Is No. 1 In The A-Sun
Leyre Santaella Sante was named the A-Sun Player-of-the-Year last week by the league's coaches. The Puerto Rico native is the fifth player in school history to earn the award, joining former UCF standouts Emily Bridson (1993), Emily Queissner (1995), Renata Menchikova (1996) and  Tyra Harper (1997).

Santaella Sante had an outstanding season in leading UCF to a share of the regular season conference title. She led UCF and ranked second in the conference in kills (578) and service aces (50) while also earning three A-Sun Player-of-the-Week honors during the season.

Frank Garners First Team Honors
Junior setter Jenny Frank joined Leyre Santaella Sante on the Atlantic Sun First Team, as announced by the league office. The honor for Frank followed a brilliant regular season in which she could have also garnered the conference player-of-the-year honor. Frank led the A-Sun in assists (1,571) while also ranking fourth in the conference in hitting percentage (.325).

The Colorado Springs, Colo. native was a Second Team All-A-Sun selection last season and a member of the A-Sun All-Tournament team.

Two Freshman Earn A-Sun Accolades
Chaz Arah and Emily Watts continued UCF's run of post-season awards as the two were named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team Wednesday. Arah has been strong all season long in the middle for the Golden Knights, ranking second on the team in total blocks (92).

Watts has been one of the team's most versatile players, filling roles at setter, outside hitter and right side this season. The Wichita, Kansas native ranks second on the team in assists (113) and kills (272).

Leyre Leads The Way
Leyre Santaella Sante has been sensational all season long for the Golden Knights from her outside hitter position. The 2002 A-Sun Player-of-the-Year and A-Sun Tournament MVP is one reason why the Golden Knights have won two straight A-Sun titles.

Santaella Sante has recorded at least 10 kills in all but two matches this season. She has also reached the 20-kill plateau 15 times and she has eclipsed the 30-kill barrier once. Santaella Sante tied a career-high with 35 kills in a five-game loss to Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 7 at the UCF Arena. Santaella Sante is also among the team leaders in double-doubles with 18 this season.

Santaella Sante has also moved up in the career rankings at UCF this season. With her 578 kills this season, Santaella Sante has 1,465 for her career, fourth in UCF history. She is also just one of four players in UCF history to eclipse the 1,000-kill mark.

The 578 kills in 2002 also rank Santaella Sante fifth on the single-season kill list at UCF.

Frankly, Jenny Has Been Fantastic
Jenny Frank has been brilliant for UCF during the 2002 campaign. The junior setter has four triple-doubles on the year and leads the Golden Knights in assists (1,571) and hitting percentage (.325). The 1,571 assists also rank Frank first in the Atlantic Sun.

With her 1,571 assists this season, Frank has moved into third place on the single-season assist chart at UCF.

Earlier in the year, Frank passed the 2,000-assist plateau to move into second place on the career assist chart at UCF. She is also just one of two players in UCF history to reach 2,000 assists. Frank has recorded 3,326 assists in her three-plus years in Orlando, trailing only Emily Queissner (5,923), who played at UCF from 1992-95.

We Are Not In Kansas Anymore
Freshman Emily Watts has made quite an impact in her first season with the Golden Knights. The Kansas native has given UCF a threat on the outside as well as a capable backup at the setter position to Jenny Frank.

For the season, Watts ranks among the team leaders in kills (272/2nd), assists (113/2nd), digs (246/4th) and attack percentage (.274/3rd).

The A-Sun All-Freshman selection has also played her best volleyball of the season down the stretch for the Golden Knights. Over  her last 13 matches, Watts has totaled double-figures in kills nine times including leading the team in kills in four of those matches.
   

In Awe Of Amanda
Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Stoutjesdyk has come on strong for UCF as the season has rolled along. After spending most of her freshman campaign playing behind three-time Atlantic Sun First-Team performer Piper Morgan and Shelly Driggers, Stoutjesdyk has come into her own in 2002. The Michigan native ranks third on the team with 243 kills and first in total blocks with 113.

Stoutjesdyk also ranks second in the conference with an average of 1.10 blocks per game. The middle blocker is also second on the team with an impressive .295 hitting percentage, which also ranks sixth in the A-Sun.

Top Seed Equals Title For The Golden Knights
Since 1992, UCF has entered the A-Sun Championship as the top seed eight times. As the No. 1 seed, the Golden Knights have won seven championships (1992-97, 2002). The only time UCF has been the top seed in the tournament and they haven't won the title was in 1999, when Florida Atlantic defeated the Golden Knights in the title match.

Leyre Joins Select Company
Leyre Santaella Sante is just the fourth player in conference history to win the A-Sun Player-of-the-Year award and the A-Sun Championship MVP in the same season. The last player to accomplish the honor was Georgia State's Anna Popenko as she won both awards in 2000.

The other two players to earn both honors were both Golden Knights. Tyra Harper accomplished the honor in 1997 while Emily Bridson won both awards in 1993.

Santaella Sante is also just the second player ever in the A-Sun to win tournament MVP honors twice. The Puerto Rico native was the A-Sun's 2001 Tournament MVP as she guided the Golden Knights to the conference crown in Boca Raton. The lone player to win the award more than once was Harper, who won the award in 1996 and 1997 for the Golden Knights.

Fast Start Leads To Good Results
The Golden Knights are 13-2 this season when they win the first game of a match. In A-Sun play, UCF is 8-1 when it wins the first game of a match.

The only match UCF lost in the conference when it won the first game was vs. Jacksonville on Nov. 8. The Dolphins defeated UCF 30-25, 24-30, 30-32, 30-25, 10-15.

Down The Stretch They Come
The Golden Knights have been playing their best volleyball of the season over the months of October and November. After starting the year with a 1-3 mark in August and a 6-6 slate in September, UCF has gone 14-2 over the final two months of the season.

UCF finished the month of October 9-1, with the only loss coming at home to South Florida in five games. In the current month of November, UCF is 5-1.

Back In The Regional Rankings
UCF returned to the NCAA South Regional Rankings this week, earning the No. 10 spot in the latest poll. This marks the second time this season UCF has garnered a spot in the poll. The Golden Knights were also ranked No. 10 in the Nov. 6 rankings.

The Golden Knights close out the regular season vs. Arkansas, the SEC runner-up and the No. 2 team in this week's NCAA South Region Rankings.

 

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