In its first Big 12 home match of the week at the Smith Fieldhouse, No.17 BYU fell to UCF in four sets (25-27, 21-25, 25-17, 21-25) on Wednesday night.
Despite the loss, middle blocker Brielle Kemavor was a defensive stopper, while setter Alex Bower reached a major career milestone.
The match opened with a back-and-forth first set that saw BYU claw back from a late deficit, only to fall short in extra points. The Cougars showed flashes of dominance in the third set, where their blocking and serving came alive, but couldn’t sustain the momentum into the fourth.
Kemavor led BYU’s block party with 7 total blocks and added 4 kills, disrupting UCF’s rhythm at the net. Middle blocker Elena Wallace chipped in 2 blocks and 1 kill, contributing to key points in transition, helping slow down the Knights’ attack.
Bower recorded 30 assists on the night, surpassing the 2,000- career assist mark in the process. She also added three aces, two of them back to back in the third set, fueling one of BYU’s strongest stretches of the night.
The Cougars finished with 12 total service aces, with contributions from Suli Davis, Elli Mortensen, and Wallace.
UCF’s Avah Armour was unstoppable, racking up 25 kills and four blocks on an impressive .449 hitting percentage. Her power and precision carried the Knights through tight sets and gave BYU’s defense a run for its money.
BYU’s offense was led by Davis with 19 kills, while Sophia Callahan added eight of her own. The Cougars hit .182 as a team and struggled to find consistency against UCF’s aggressive play.
With the loss, BYU dropped to 17-5 overall and 5-5 in Big 12 play. The Cougars will look to regroup and bounce back Saturday against Kansas State.