KnightCap: Spring Has Sprung

The spring sports season is underway for the UCF Knights. Not only has UCF’s spirit team gotten its annual opportunity to compete, but other UCF teams are settling in to their 2026 seasons.

We also have our Knight of the Week and Play of the Week in this Saturday, Jan. 24 edition of KnightCap.

Spirit Earns Pair of Top Fives at Disney

The UCF Spirit Team returned to the ESPN Wide World of Sports for the 2026 UCA and UDA National Championships over the weekend.

The Cheerleading squad highlighted the event, finishing in the runner-up spot in the D1A Coed Cheer category for their 27th top-five finish in the category in its history, though just short of its fifth title.

Of the competition’s top four, a group of schools that have won every D1A Coed Cheer title since 2014, UCF ended up with the lowest raw score at 89.6. However, the Knights also had the cleanest performance of the four, just getting a half-point deduction. Despite that, the Bulls’ raw score, 90.2, was just high enough that, even with a one-point deduction, it was enough to take home the title by a tenth of a point.

The squad also finished on the podium in the Cheer Game Day category, coming in third place behind national champion Tennessee and South Florida.

As for the Dance team, the D1A Hip-Hop category once again proved to be its wheelhouse as it netted its third consecutive (and overall) top-five finish, despite a regression from last year’s third-place.

The Knights ended up finishing in fifth, matching its finish in 2024, with 93.3833 points. They were less than a point shy of fourth-place San Diego State and ended up finishing four points behind now back-to-back champion UNLV.

As for the D1A Jazz category, UCF missed the Finals for a second consecutive year, finishing 16th in the semifinals with 88.3 points, just 0.8833 points out of the Top 12 that advanced to the Finals.

With their competition for the year now over, the Knights will be back on the court cheering on the UCF basketball teams in Addition Financial Arena.

Men’s Tennis Remains Unbeaten Going Into ITA Kickoff

Hot off last weekend’s season-opening wins (FGCU, 4-0 and Louisiana, 6-1), the UCF Men’s Tennis won both of their matches in this weekend’s double header against USF, 4-0, and Mercer, 5-2. 

Looking to come back after last year’s loss against USF (1-6), the Knights were able to take it back and win on their territory. 

In doubles play, senior Luca Hotze and sophomore Nicolas Oliveira won their match 6-3, but it was partners junior Wissam Abderrahman and senior Mehdi Benchakroun who clutched the doubles point for the Knights. 

Having to move indoors due to the rain, Abderrahman and Benchakroun fought and made a comeback, winning their set in a tiebreak, 7-6, and securing the doubles point for the Knights. 

UCF stayed ahead the rest of the match in singles play, with Abderrahman winning his sets 6-0, 6-2 and senior Yassine Dlimi winning his sets 6-1, 6-4. Oliveira made the Knights victorious as he won his sets 6-2, 6-4. 

That night, against the Bears, the Knights continued to see victories as partners Dlimi and senior Paul Colin, Abderrahman and Benchakroun, and Hotze and Oliveira each won their doubles sets, securing the point for UCF. 

In singles play, sophomore Clement Lemire set the tone, winning both his sets 6-1 early on. Dlimi and Colin weren’t far behind, as Dlimi won his sets 6-1, 6-4, and Colin won his sets 6-4, 6-1. 

Oliveira wrapped it up for UCF, also winning his sets 6-4, 6-1, and continuing the Knights 4 game winning streak. 

Now off to a quick 4-0 start, the Knights, who climbed two spots to #12 in the ITA rankings, head to Berkeley, California, next weekend for ITA Kickoff weekend. They are slated to play #21 USC, and either #17 Oklahoma or #15 California based on the results of the first match. 

Women’s Tennis Sneaks First Win Before Rain

Despite inclement weather canceling the UCF Women’s Tennis team’s second match of Saturday’s season-opening double header, the Knights still secured a win over the USF Bulls, 4-1.

In their UCF dual-match debut, doubles partners freshman Marina Gatell and senior Daryna Shoshyna won their set, 6-3. On the other two courts, USF prevailed in their sets, with one resulting in a tiebreaker, 7(9)-6(7), ultimately won by the Bulls. 

The Knights were able to bounce back in singles play with Shoshyna winning her sets 6-0, 6-1, and senior Jantje Tilbeuerger winning her sets 6-2, 6-3. 

Sophomore Jade Psonka won her sets 6-2, 6-3, with Gatell gaining the final point with her sets 6-4,6-3, clinching the win for UCF and keeping them entrenched at #24 in the ITA rankings.

The Knights’ next match will be on the road against UCLA next Saturday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as they participate in ITA Kickoff Weekend. 

Track and Field Gets Indoor Season Underway

The UCF Track and Field team’s indoor season is in full swing with two meets already under its belt.

The Knights got underway at the Rod McCray Invitational in Louisville, Kentucky. Full results can be viewed here. Senior Angelina Horn highlighted the weekend with their lone podium finish, taking third in the triple jump with a 12.66m best jump.

Following that, they headed to Gainesville on Jan. 16 for the Jimmy Carnes Invitational, which was also highlighted by one athlete finishing on the podium with a bronze medal. This time it was Albany transfer Tony Galloway, who took third in the 60-meter hurdles with a 8.38s time. The full UCF results from the meet can be viewed here.

The Knights are splitting up for their third weekend of the indoor season. While the distance athletes are returning to Gainesville on Friday and Saturday for the Alachua County Sports and Event Center Invitational, the rest of the team is traveling to Lubbock, Texas, for the one-day Stan Scott Invite on Friday.

Women’s Basketball Falls in Waco

The UCF Women’s Basketball team could not keep up with the #14 Baylor Bears, falling in Waco, 74-48, in its largest margin of defeat of the season so far.

While the Knights were only behind by one shot after one quarter, their shooting from the floor petered off in the second half. This allowed the Bears to utilize three-point shooting, going 12-32 to UCF’s 2-7, to build their lead in the game’s latter three quarters.

Center Khyala Ngodu led the way for the Knights both offensively with 11 points, most of them gained via free throws, and at the glass with 12 rebounds, giving her a double-double.

Now 10-9 (2-6 Big 12), head coach Sytia Messer and her squad will fight to remain above .500 on Saturday as they return home to face #9 TCU.

Knight of the Week

Clemente Silva, Men’s Golf

Just like this past fall, UCF golfer Clemente Silva has once again claimed victory in a South American golf tournament before returning to Orlando.

This time it was the Cachagua Open, a three-round tournament played at the Cachagua Golf Club on the Chilean coast. Silva established himself well with a first-round 64 (8-under) that put him at the front of the pack early, and despite a final-round 74 (2-over), he still managed to finish in a tie for the lead at 10-under with a pair of professionals, Matías Domínguez, ranked #3,230 in the World Golf Rankings, and Agustín Errázuriz, ranked 1,917th and the fifth-highest ranked Chilean golfer in the world.

Silva, an amateur, birdied the 18th hole playoff to claim the title. His win capped off a streak of five podium finishes in South American golf tournaments since the conclusion of the Knights’ fall slate, including a runner-up finish in the Chile Open. It’s the fourth win of his amateur career and has helped him reach 526th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Silva is set to be back with the Knights for the Sea Best Invitational on Feb. 2-3.

Knights Play of the Week

UCF Cheerleading’s Finals Routine

On Tap This Weekend

Friday-Saturday

• Track and Field Distance @ AlachuaCounty Sports and Event Center Invitational

Saturday

• Men’s Tennis vs. #17 Oklahoma – 5 p.m.
• Women’s Tennis vs. #18 UCLA – 12 p.m.
• Women’s Basketball vs. #9 TCU – 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Men’s Basketball @ Colorado – 3 p.m. (ESPN+)

Sunday

• Women’s Tennis vs. #5 LSU or Marshall – TBA

Sunday-Tuesday

• Women’s Golf hosts UCF Challenge Presented by PDI at Eagle Creek Golf Club