ORLANDO, Fla. (Sept. 19, 2006) ? Every game came down to the wire and the match was decided by six points, but in the end the University of South Florida volleyball team lost to the University of Central Florida, 3-0 (31-29, 30-28, 31-29), Tuesday night at the UCF Arena in Orlando, Fla.
With the loss, the Bulls' record drops to 4-8, while the Golden Knights' improves to 5-7.
“It's frustrating to lose a match by a total of six points, but I also think it's a credit to how evenly the teams were matched up?we won every category except kills per game,” head coach Claire Lessinger said. “We just need to be able to get more kills. I was really pleased with Ashley Reavis' performance. I think it showed in the emotion on the floor that she was here to win tonight. I credit her for fighting as hard as she did.”
USF and UCF were evenly matched in all three games, with the Bulls leading in digs, (38-to-36), aces (6-to-5) and blocks (6-to-5). But in the end the Golden Knights' offense finished the night with the advantage that led the team to the win, out-hitting the Bulls .305 to .288. UCF put together more attacking opportunities, turning 128 attacks into 60 kills whereas USF converted 104 attacks into 46 kills.
Reavis paced the way for the Bulls, netting 16 kills while hitting .483. The senior set a new personal best in kills, breaking her previous record of 14. Red-shirt freshman Marcela Gurgel was the only other USF player to record double-digit kills, chipping in 13.
Defensively, libero Stephanie Augustavo tallied a team-best 11 digs.
After UCF jumped out to a 13-8 advantage, the Bulls managed to cut the deficit down to two points, 13-11, only to see the Golden Knights take another five-point lead, 19-14. USF slowly chipped into the lead, eventually tying the game and then taking the lead, 29-28. With the Bulls only needing a point for the win, UCF fought back and used a 3-0 run to close out game one with the 31-29 win. Despite the loss, the Bulls finished the game out-hitting the Golden Knights .370 to .324.
USF battled back from a four-point deficit to take its first lead of game two, 11-9. After allowing the Golden Knights to go on a 3-0 run to take a two-point lead, USF took back the advantage, 14-13, with its own 3-0 run. Trading points back-and-forth, the lead changed hands four times, but neither team had more than a three-point cushion. The game finally broke open when UCF broke the 27-27 tie going on a 3-1 run for the 30-28 victory.
With the score tied 3-3, the Bulls took control of game three, going on a 13-5 run to take an eight-point lead, 16-8. After USF took its largest lead of the game, 20-10, the Golden Knights managed to get their offensive attack in motion, using an 11-2 run to come within one point, 22-21. With the score tied, 26-26, USF came within one point of the game win, 29-27, thanks to a 3-1 run, but UCF closed out the game on a 4-0 run for the 31-29 win and match victory.
USF will return home to open up BIG EAST action on Sunday when it welcomes Seton Hall to The Corral at 1 p.m.
