The USF Volleyball team ended another successful season for a growing program with a 3-0 sweep of Florida A & M (30-20, 30-28, 30-28) on Wednesday afternoon in The Corral.
In the final match of her career, Kristina Fabris was again the standout notching 18 kills and 10 digs for her final double-double. Junior middle blocker Nakia Williams was a standout at the net as well, picking up nine kills and eight blocks, including one block solo, for one of her best defensive performances of the season.
“The execution was great today on our serving and blocking,” said Bulls coach Claire Lessinger, pointing to 10 aces from the Bulls as well as 15 total blocks. “We scored some quick points off our defensive efforts. Kristina (Fabris) put up another impressive match, and in her senior year, I have the utmost respect for the way she's taken over this team late in the season. Plus having an opportunity to play and beat a team headed for the NCAA Tournament (Florida A & M has already qualified by winning the MEAC Conference Championship) is a great way for us to finish our season.”
The Bulls came out impressively at the net, registering six blocks in game one alone. A key run of front row defense came on the serve of Alli Arbogast, with the Bulls rejecting Rattlers attacks on four of her six serves to take a 21-11 lead. Iva Lakic for FAMU put up a heroic effort with eight kills, but her six errors were a major portion of FAMU's 11 for the frame.
Game two saw the Bulls rally behind Fabris in her final match for the Bulls. She led the Bulls with 10 kills on 17 attacks against just two errors for a scorching .471 attack percentage. But 17 digs from the undermanned Rattlers (who traveled only six healthy players to Tampa, and played without a substitute or a libero for the entire match) kept them in it, as well as six kills from the senior Lakic. With the game tied at 28, a clutch kill from Fabris followed by a tandem block from Williams and freshman right side Erin Kracl pulled the Bulls away for the 2-0 lead heading into the intermission.
Game three saw the Ratters get more balance from their offense with three of six FAMU players registering four kills. A better defensive effort at the net also came out of the locker room, with four blocks to the Bulls three. But the tandem of Fabris and sophomore Marcela Gurgel, who have led the Bulls all season long offensively, made their final match together a memorable one. Combining for 12 kills on 26 attacks as well as 10 digs, the pair were too much for FAMU to handle, With the Bulls leading 28-26, two aces from Lakic drew the visitors even, but a kill from Williams had the Bulls serving for the match, and a double block of Maria Gomez by Gurgel and Williams ended the 2007 season on a high note.
The Bulls will return 13 of their 14 players for what promises to be an exciting 2008 season, adding incoming freshman Alli O'Connor of Louisville, Kentucky, and Kelsey Palmer of Salem, Oregon.
