Over this past week, the UCF Knights sports world saw one team extend its undefeated streak, a golfer win an individual title, and more.

We also have our Knight of the Week and Play of the Week in this Friday, Feb. 13 edition of KnightCap.

Men’s Tennis Ties Program-Best Start

The UCF men’s tennis team kept its undefeated record to open the 2026 dual match season alive on Friday with a sweep against Miami (FL), 4-0).

The win gets the Knights off to a program-best 8-0 start for a second consecutive season, an undefeated start that was confidently broken by the Hurricanes in match #9 last season.

After winning their seventh doubles point of the season, freshman Pedro Rodrigues, senior Paul Colin and senior Mehdi Benchakroun each picked up quick wins in straight sets over their Miami counterparts. The trio conceded just seven games combined. It was also Benchakroun’s second clinching point of the season.

The Knights have a chance to set a new program-best season-opening winning streak if they can win their first match at the ITA Men’s National Indoor Championships, which is against 4-seed Baylor at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Men’s Golfer Wins Individual Title To Start Spring

The UCF men’s golf team marked the start of its spring slate with one of its own taking the individual title at the weather-shortened Sea Best Invitational in Atlantic Beach.

While the event’s third round was canceled due to weather concerns, senior Chase Haygood stepped up in what was now the final round by putting together six birdies and one bogey to get to 7-under (135 strokes) for the tournament. However, he ended up needing to beat Texas A&M’s Aaron Pounds in a playoff after he, too, had a final-round score of 6-under (65 strokes). 

Haygood ended up needing three playoff holes before he could best Pounds, doing so by scoring a par on the very same hole in which he scored his only bogey of the day. It’s the second individual title of Haygood’s career, joining his 2024 Island Resort Intercollegiate performance. 

Despite Haygood’s win, it was not enough to propel the Knights to victory as a team, though they did get their second top-five team finish of the season, thanks to coming in fourth at 2-under (566 strokes), three strokes behind #34 Texas A&M and eight strokes behind the champion #5 Florida Gators.

The only Knight to join Haygood under par was Clemente Silva, who shot an even-par second round to finish in a tie for 10th at 2-under (140). Additionally, sophomore Palmer Haynes ended up recording a career-high individual finish, coming in a tie for 20th at one-over (143 strokes).

For the full results of the Sea Best Invitational, click here.

The Knights are back on the course this weekend in Gainesville for the Gators Invitational from Feb. 14-15.

Track and Field Splits Up Once Again

UCF track and field split competition across two meets over the weekend, with the distance squad competing at the Visit Gainesville Indoor Classic on Friday and the remainder of the team taking part in the Charlie Thomas Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. 

Across the two meets, the Knights recorded three top-five finishes and six personal bests, including six marks that entered the program’s all-time top 10.

Sophomore Omaria Gordon recorded a fifth-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 6.07 meters, while senior Jazmen Newberry and freshman Samiyah Roberson both placed inside the top 10 in the 200 meters, finishing fifth and eighth with times of 23.59 and 23.81 seconds, respectively. 

Gordon’s finish cements her as #6 on UCF’s all-time long jump list. Newberry and senior Khristel Martindale each posted personal-best performances in the event, with Martindale clocking 24.36 seconds.

Junior Paige Laffoon competed in her first pentathlon of the season and totaled 3,598 points, placing her #6 on UCF’s all-time pentathlon list, while also recording a personal best of 2:27.05 in the 800 meters. 

Sophomore Aaliyah Gipson continued a recent trend of improvement in the 60 meters, running a personal-best 7.53 seconds to qualify for the finals for the second consecutive weekend. 

Additional personal bests were logged by junior Janiah Pulliam in the 400 meters at 54.24 seconds and freshman Alexia Reid in the 60-meter hurdles at 8.46 seconds. 

Senior Toni Galloway ran 8.32 seconds in the hurdles to move into the #10 slot on the program’s all-time 60-meter hurdles list and Pulliam’s 54.24 moved her to #7 all-time on the program’s 400-meter relay list. 

The meet concluded with the Knights’ 4×400-meter relay team of Pulliam, Genelle Stephens, Newberry and senior Twaniese Johnson finishing in 3:35.31, the third-fastest time in program history.

Meanwhile, in Gainesville, Senior Bailey McLain, junior Brianna Rodriguez, junior Yvone Sandui and senior Kendall Hughes finished 11:49:95 in the distance medley relay to combine for the seventh fastest time in program history.

UCF concludes its regular season next weekend at the Tyson Invitational, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Women’s Basketball’s Losing Streak Continues

A short-handed UCF women’s basketball team’s struggles in Big 12 play continue as it drops games against Utah, 67-57, Oklahoma State, 81-58, and West Virginia, 106-56, this week.

Forward Jasmynne Gibson, who last played on Jan. 10, extended her absence to eight games, but more recently she has been joined on player availability reports by center Khyala Ngodu, who was out against the Cowgirls and Mountaineers, and the Knights’ leading scorer, guard Leah Harmo. Harmon has now missed three games and was spotted wearing a boot and using crutches at the Knights’ matchup against the Utes.

“Right now, we don’t know a time frame on her injury, but we got to have other people, you know, step up,” head coach Sytia Messer said.

In Harmon’s absence, guard Kristol Ayson has experienced an uptick in minutes, recording her first instances of playing 30 minutes or more in a game this season against both the Utes, in which she led with 15 points, and the Cowgirls, in which she scored 10 points. Forward Mahogany Chandler-Roberts has also stepped up offensively, recording her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Oklahoma State. It was her fourth-straight game with double-digit points.

However, the Utes ended up gaining an advantage thanks to going 10-25 from three, which created a 15-point swing when compared to UCF’s 5-14 performance from beyond the arc. As for the Cowgirls and Mountaineers, both teams got off to hot starts, scoring more than 20 points in the first quarter while limiting the Knights to single-digits, and never looked back.

The losses drop the Knights to 10-14 (2-11 Big 12). They return home to host #12 Baylor at 2 p.m. on Sunday for their Pink Game.

Knight of the Week

Najer Victor, Baseball Alum

On Thursday, former UCF pitcher Najer Victor was unveiled as a member of the Great Britain national team roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

He joins an exclusive club of UCF alums to earn a national team spot for a World Baseball Classic that includes catcher Drew Butera (Italy, 2013 & 2017), pitcher Colton Gordon (Israel, 2023) and utility player Darnell Sweeney (Great Britain, 2023).

Great Britain plays in Pool B in the Classic against the likes of Team USA, Italy, Mexico and Brazil. All of their games will be played in Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, from March 6-11.

Knights Play of the Week

Kendall Yarnell’s Go-Ahead Grand Slam

On Tap This Week

Friday

• Softball vs. Northwestern – 10 a.m. (ESPN+)
• Men’s Tennis @ ITA National Indoor Championships – TBA
• Track and Field @ Tyson Invitational (Day 1) – 1:20 p.m. (SEC Network+)
• Softball vs. #15 Georgia – 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Women’s Tennis @ FIU – 1 p.m.
• Baseball vs. Siena – 6 p.m. (ESPN+)

Saturday

• Softball vs. #12 LSU – 10 a.m. (SEC Network)
• Track and Field @ Tyson Invitational (Day 2) – 11:05 a.m. (SEC Network+)
• Men’s Tennis @ ITA National Indoor Championships – TBA
• Men’s Golf @ Vystar Credit Union Gator Invitational (Day 1)
• Baseball vs. Siena – 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Softball vs. #9 Nebraska – 1:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Men’s Basketball vs. West Virginia – 6 p.m. (FS1)

Sunday

• Men’s Tennis @ ITA National Indoor Championships – TBA
• Men’s Golf @ Vystar Credit Union Gator Invitational (Day 2)
• Women’s Golf @ Moon Golf Invitational (Round 1)
• Softball vs. NC State – 12 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Women’s Tennis @ Miami (FL) – 1 p.m.
• Baseball vs. Siena – 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Women’s Basketball vs. #15 Baylor – 2 p.m. (ESPN+)