A Legacy of Excellence: Exploring the History of UCF Knights Volleyball

The UCF Knights women's volleyball program represents the University of Central Florida in NCAA Division I. As the program approaches its 50th anniversary in 2025, it's an opportune time to reflect on its rich history, filled with remarkable achievements, talented players, and dedicated coaches. The Knights compete in the Big 12 Conference and play their home games on UCF's main campus in Orlando, Florida, at The Venue at UCF.

Early Years and AIAW National Championship (1975-1979)

The Florida Technological University (FTU) Knights volleyball program began in 1975 under Head Coach Lucy McDaniel, who led the team through the 1979 season. The Knights played as an Independent until 1982. Their original home court was the Education Gym, located in the Education Building on the then FTU (later UCF) Campus, remaining their homecourt until 1991 when they began playing games at the original UCF arena.

In their inaugural year, the Knights went 30-8-0, with their success attributed to a balance of strong offense and defense, and a strong bond between the players. McDaniel was described by her players as "tough, but fair", and they credited her leadership as the bond that held the team together through adversity.

In 1977, the Knights made their first post-season tournament appearance, placing 4th in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) National Championship Tournament, defeating most opponents by a large margin. During the course of the season, the university transitioned from FTU to UCF.

The Knights greatest loss that year was not on the volleyball court. One of their Assistant Coaches (and former player), Julie Gonzalez, was killed in a car accident during the course of the season.

Read also: Traditions of UCF Basketball

In 1978, the Knights achieved a remarkable feat, going 55-0 en route to the AIAW Small College National Championship. As the highest seeded team in the tournament, UCF hosted the final game on their home court. The Knights faced the University of Hawaii at Hilo Vulcans in the final match. The final was a best of three sets match, with each team playing to at least 15 points (the winner having to win by two points). One player who played an impactful role was Karin Fischer, as she was one of four Knights that year to earn a Division II All-American nod. In 2017, the program honored Laura Smith when she was inducted into the UCF Volleyball Ring of Honor.

The following year, the Knights once again advanced to the AIAW Tournament Championship match with a record of 54-5, and would once again face the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans in the final match. But the 1979 Championship would go to the Vulcans, who avenged their loss from the previous year. Lucy McDaniel would leave UCF at the end of that season. In 2006, she was inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame.

UCF Volleyball has earned one national title (the 1978 AIAW National Championship), going 55-0 in their championship season.

Transition and Conference Affiliations (1980-1998)

In 1980, Carmen Pennick took over the UCF Volleyball program, and would lead the Knights for the next-two years. However, she failed to produce a winning season during her tenure, and was replaced by Lyn King as Head Coach in 1982. During that same year, the Knights joined the Sunshine State Conference (their first conference affiliation). The Knights returned to a winning record in 1982, and would go 38-12 the following season (10-2 in conference play for both seasons).

UCF left the Sunshine State Conference and returned to Independent status for the 1984 season before joining the New South Women's Athletic Conference in 1985. In 1988, Dee Dee McClemmon took over as Head Coach of the Knights, and led them into the American South Conference in 1990.

Read also: Building a Competitive UCF Team

In 1991, McClemmon was replaced by Laura Smith, a UCF volleyball alum who played for the Knights from 1977 to 1979. She would lead the Knights for the next seven seasons, and oversee their transition first into the Sun Belt Conference in 1991, then into the Trans America Athletic Conference (later re-christened the Atlantic-Sun Conference) in 1992. During her tenure as UCF's Head Coach, Smith would lead the Knights to six consecutive Conference Tournament Championships, and would not loose a single conference match during that six-year run (a 65 match conference win streak). She would also lead them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1994, the first of four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances.

Laura Smith stepped down as Head Coach at the end of the 1997 season, and was replaced with Miriam Ochoa. The latter would only lead UCF Volleyball for one year, as the Knights posted their first losing record in nine seasons in 1998.

The Colado Era and Conference USA (1999-2007)

Meg Colado (a former standout player at the University of Florida) took over the helm as Head Coach in 1999, and would remain with the program until the end of the 2007 season. During her nine years with UCF, Colado led the Knights to three consecutive 20+ win seasons from 2001 to 2003. Earning NCAA tournament births during each of those three seasons, the Knights made their first appearance in the second round of the tournament in 2003.

In 2005, UCF joined Conference-USA, but the Knights would not find early success in their new conference. In 2007, a new UCF arena opened (later to be called CFE, then Additions Financial Arena). UCF Volleyball played their games for one year in that arena while renovations were made to the old arena to develop it into a volleyball specific facility.

The Dagenais Era and American Athletic Conference Dominance (2008-2022)

In 2008, Todd Dagenais took over the UCF Knights Volleyball program as Head Coach. Dagenais would go on to lead the Knights for the next 15 seasons (the longest tenured Head Coach in UCF Volleyball history).

Read also: Sound and Spirit of UCF

In 2013, UCF moved into the American Athletic Conference, and began a period of dominance in their new league. During the Knights' ten seasons in the American Conference, UCF won six conference titles, including five straight from 2018 to 2022, and made the NCAA Tournament six times. The Knights advanced to the second round of the tournament in three of their six tournament appearances. They also made the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) Tournament in 2017. Dagenais earned more wins than any other coach in the conference during that period, and was named the American Conference Volleyball Coach of the Year four times. UCF's overall record during their ten years in the conference was 227-82 (142-38 in conference play).

A major contributor on the court to the Knights' success during this period was Outside Hitter McKenna Melville, who would go on to become the most decorated player in the history of UCF Volleyball. During her five seasons with the Knights, she (along with her teammate Amber Olson) became the only players in UCF history to win five conference championships in their sport. By the end of her time with UCF Volleyball, Melville would be named AVCA First Team All-American in 2022, Third Team All-American in 2021, and would receive Honorable Mention nods in 2018 and 2019. She also finished in the top ten of UCF records in career defensive digs (1,650), service aces (123), and in solo blocks (66). Todd Dagenais retired from college coaching after the 2022 season to Coach the Atlanta Vibe in the new Pro Volleyball Federation (later Major League Volleyball).

Big 12 Conference and New Leadership (2023-Present)

UCF decided to promote from within when choosing new leadership, and replaced Dagenais with his former Associate Head Coach, Jenny Maurer. The Knights joined the Big 12 Conference starting with the 2023 season. Their first season in the league started out with success, as the Knights won 17 of their first 21 matches. The Knights won their first seven conference matches, including a dramatic five-set home win over Kansas State. But the 2023 season quickly came unraveled as they lost their last eight matches, and finished the season 8-10 in league play (17-12 overall).

UCF started the season strong in 2024, winning seven of their first eight matches. But the Knights would only win two more matches that season, finishing the year with their worst record since 2007 (9-18 overall, 2-15 in conference play). Matt Botsford, a successful coach at Florida Gulf Coast University, was hired to take over the Knights starting in the 2025 season.

Under Botsford's leadership, the Knights returned to a winning record, finishing the 2025 season 17-12 overall (8-10 in conference play). This included a road win over the #17 ranked BYU Cougars, with the Cougars losing only their 16th home match in the previous 11 seasons. The Knights also earned a home sweep over the #24 ranked Iowa State Cyclones. A major contributor to this success was Outside Hitter Avah Armour, who was named an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and First Team All-Big 12 Conference.

Rivalries

The UCF Knights and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats have been rivals going back to their days in the American Athletic Conference, with matches between the two teams often deciding who would play for or win conference titles. The rivalry transitioned into the Big 12 Conference, which both teams joined in 2023. The competitive nature of the rivalry has continued in the Big 12 as well, with the Knights and Bearcats even at 3-3 in Big 12 play against each other as of the end of the 2025 season.

The UCF Knights have had a long time rivalry with the University of South Florida Bulls, whose campus is 90 miles from Orlando in Tampa. When the Knights joined the Bulls in the American Athletic Conference in 2013, the Knights were able to turn the table on their in-state rivals. The Knights won 20-straight matches against the Bulls, with UCF never losing a conference matchup to South Florida during the ten years both were in the American Conference. As UCF moved into the Big 12 Conference in 2023, the rivalry went dormant as the Knights and Bulls have not scheduled matches against each other since that time.

UCF's rivalry with the Florida State Seminoles is a more recent development in the story of both programs. Since then, the Knights and Seminoles have played each other in non-conference matchups during most seasons.

The Venue at UCF

UCF's original home court was the Education Gymnasium in the original Education Building (now part of the Education Complex). The Knights moved to their current home in 1991, which was then the UCF Basketball Arena. In 2007, the basketball teams moved to their current home (now called Addition Financial Arena). The volleyball team also moved to the new arena for one season as major renovations were underway in the old basketball arena to modify it to a volleyball specific arena.

Knights volleyball returned to the original arena, now re-modeled and re-christened The Venue, for the 2008 season. The Venue is located just behind Addition Financial Arena, with both arenas forming one overall building complex. The Venue itself is an 87,000 square foot facility that has seating for 2,000 fans, and includes more than 31,000 square feet of training facilities, locker rooms, meeting and office space, and player lounges. The complex also features a top-of-the-line sports medicine facility used by the volleyball team and the basketball teams, and a 2,000 square foot weight room. The Venue has undergone further renovations over the years, the latest completed in time for the 2023 season. As part of the 2023 renovations, a new state-of-the-art video scoreboard was added to the arena by SNA Displays.

A Look at Some of the Program's Standout Players

In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of the UCF Knights’ Volleyball program in 2025, a roster of 26 of the Knights’ best players over the program’s history has been assembled, considering that the player must have played at least one season for UCF and at least one player must come from each decade of the program’s existence (1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s). Active UCF Players are not eligible.

Here's a glimpse at some of the exceptional athletes who have donned the Black and Gold:

Outside Hitters

Miriam Metzcus (1991-1994): A three-time All-ASUN First Team selection, Metzcus led the Knights to consecutive ASUN titles (93-94), an appearance in the NIVC in 1993 and the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1994. She holds the program record for the most career service aces (235) and aces per set (0.46). Inducted into UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025. Metzcus ranks 3rd all-time at UCF in kills (1,811), 5th in kills per set (3.55), 1st in aces (235), and 3rd in digs (1,644). She was also an assistant coach under Laura Smith, and served as interim head coach to finish the 1998 season.
Renata Menchikova (1995-1997): Led UCF in kills and aces in all three seasons she played at UCF (1995-1997) and led the team in digs in 1996 and 1997. She still holds the school record for kills per set (5.85). A three-time first-team All-ASUN honoree and two-time AVCA All-Region selection (1995-1996), she was also named the ASUN Tournament MVP in 1995 and ASUN Player of the Year in 1996. Part of three ASUN Championship teams, she made three NCAA Tournament appearances (1995-1997). Inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002 and inducted into UCF Volleyball Ring of Honor in 2019.
Leyre Santaella Sante (2000-2002): ASUN Player of the Year and an All-Region Honorable Mention in 2002. Made the All-ASUN First Team twice (2001-2002) and made All-ASUN Second Team in 2000. ASUN Tournament MVP in 2001 and 2002, helping UCF win back-to-back ASUN Championships and trips to the NCAA Tournament. Sante ranks 4th all-time in kills with 1,497 and 2nd in kills per set (4.52), and is tied for 5th in aces (149).
Tanya Jarvis-Starrett (2001-2004): A second-team All-ASUN performer in 2003 and an ASUN All-Freshman selection in 2001, she was part of the program’s three consecutive ASUN championships and NCAA tournament appearances from 2001-03. She totaled 1,049 kills, 891 digs and 112 service aces. Inducted into UCF Volleyball Ring of Honor in 2022.
Erin Campbell (2006-2009): One of six players in UCF history to have 1,000 kills and digs in a career and is the only player to accomplish it in the Conference USA era. Selected to the All-C-USA Second Team in 2009, she ranks tenth in program history in kills (1,207) and ninth in digs (1,134) and in digs per set (2.66).
Angelica Crump (2009-2013): A 2011 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American and AVCA All-Region First Team selection, the first Knight since Jenny Frank in 2003 to earn both honors. A first-team All-CUSA in 2011 and second-team All-CUSA in 2012, she earned second-team All-AAC in 2013. She ranks 6th in UCF history with 1,489 career kills, and ninth in career kills per set (3.32).
Jale Hervey (2014-2016): A three-time First Team All-AAC member (2014, 2015, 2016) and two-time All-Region performer, she ranks fourth all-time in kills per set (3.93) and eighth all-time in kills (1,317), despite only playing three seasons. She was part of the Knights’ AAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014.
Kia Bright (2014-2018): An AVCA All-American Honorable Mention in 2014 selection and two-time All-Region selection (First Team in 2014 and Honorable Mention in 2017), she was a three-time First Team All-AAC pick (2014, 2016, 2017). She ranks seventh all-time in kills (1,368), sixth in digs (1,221), and seventh in digs per set (2.97). One of six UCF Volleyball players all-time to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.
Kristina Fisher (2017-2019): A 2-time All-AAC 1st Team performer, she was part of 2 AAC Championships (2018-2019) and NCAA Tournament teams (2018-2019), recording 1,077 kills in her three seasons.
McKenna Melville (2018-2022): The first UCF Knights Volleyball player to be named First Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association in 2022. A three-time AAC Player of the Year and five-time All-AAC First Team selection, she is the all-time leader in kills with 2,563. She led UCF to five straight AAC Championships, made five straight NCAA Tournaments, and made three trips to the Second Round (2019, 2021, 2022).

Middle Blockers

Laura Smith (1977-1979): A two-time All-American (1977-1978), Smith led UCF to a 55-0 mark in 1978 en route to the AIAW Small College National Championship. Inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999 and again in 2015 as part of the 1978 team, she was honored by the program in 2017 when she was inducted into the UCF Volleyball Ring of Honor.
Emily Bridson (1992-1993): A-Sun Player of Year in 1993 and A-Sun 1st Team (1992-1993), she was also A-SUN Tournament MVP in 1993. She holds the UCF Single Season Block Record with 187 in 1993 and was part of an A-SUN Championship in 1993.
Tyra Harper (Turner) (1994-1997): Earned First Team All-ASUN three times and All-ASUN third team in her freshman season (1994). Named the ASUN Tournament MVP twice (1996 and 1997) and was named ASUN Player of the Year in 1997. Led the Knights to four consecutive ASUN titles and four NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-1997), reaching the second round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament when UCF swept Clemson. Owns the school record for total blocks (631) and solo blocks (156). Inducted into the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.
Piper Morgan (1998-2001): Part of two regular season ASUN Championships (1999 and 2001) as well as the 2001 A-Sun Tournament Champions, she was a three-time First Team All-ASUN performer (1999-2001) with 1,103 kills along with 75 solo blocks.
Kaye-Alese Green (2010-2014): A 2014 AVCA All-America Honorable Mention and 2014 AVCA All-Region First-Team, she was also a 2014 American Athletic Conference First Team and 2013 American Athletic Conference Second Team selection. She was a key part of UCF’s 2014 American Athletic Conference Championship squad.
DeLaina Sarden (2011-2014): An AVCA All-American Honorable Mention (2012-2014), alongside three All-Region selections (2012-2014), she was CUSA’s Freshman of the Year in 2011 and AAC’s Player of the Year in 2014. Helped UCF win its first AAC Championship in 2014 and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003. Inducted into UCF Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.

Setters

Terri Hinton (1986-1987): A 2-time All-New South Women’s Athletic All Conference 1st team (86-87).
Emily Queisser (1992-1995): Helped the Knights to three ASUN titles (1993-1995), part of a five-year ASUN title streak for the program, a 1993 NIVC appearance and two NCAA Tournament appearances (1994-1995). Queisser is the UCF Volleyball program’s all-time leader in games played (156) and assists (5,923).

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