Box Score
TAMPA - - Behind the dominating play of the University of South Florida outside hitters, the Bulls fought off a pesky DePaul Blue Demon team in four sets, 23-25, 25-16, 25-17, 25-23.
USF (10-6, 1-1) won their first conference match of the season and earned a weekend split after dispatching DePaul (1-12, 0-2).
“I think the first set was a wake up call, but I think we needed that,” said USF head coach Claire Lessinger. “After that, I thought we turned it on pretty good and executed our game plan of running our outsides and right sides.”
Junior All-American Marcela Gurgel played one of the best all-around matches by a Bull this season by adding up 20 kills, 16 digs, four aces and committed only one attack error for a .528 hitting percentage.
USF's prized signee out of Louisville, Ky., Alli O'Connor pounded down 14 kills for a .344 clip while serving up a pair aces and taking part in two block assists.
“She is such a confident player and she played aggressively tonight,” said Lessinger on the play of O'Connor. “She wants to be out there and be a star.”
Mariana Thon handled the primary setting duties all match and had 42 assists along with seven digs and four kills on as many attacks for a perfect hitting percentage.
For the Bulls defensively, Stephanie Augustavo had 13 digs, second-highest in the match behind Gurgel.
Three different DePaul student-athletes had double-digit kills with Jacie Fiedler (13), Katie Letcher (11) and a team-high 17 from Sarah Cullen who also had 10 digs.
USF fell in the first set to the Blue Demons in a nail biter, 23-25. However, each of the seven times the Bulls have dropped the opener, they have bounced back to take the next set and today was no different with the home team winning the second set 25-16.
Out of the intermission, USF continued the run of momentum and hit .524 as a team in the third set en route to a 25-17 win to place them ahead two sets to one.
The Bulls and Blue Demons went back and forth in the final set of the afternoon. At match point with the score close at 24-23, Thon set it to the hot hand of Gurgel, who fired a missile cross court to secure the victory.
“It was an awesome win here today we played with great energy,” said O'Connor. “Everybody really stepped up and did their part.”
It was the first time all season that USF has dropped the opening set but bounced back to take the match. Previously, USF was 0-6 after such scenarios opposed to a perfect 9-0 when taking the 1-0 lead.
Now with two matches in BIG EAST play in the books, the Bulls will hit the road for the first time in conference play this upcoming weekend and will face Pittsburgh on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then West Virginia the next day at 1 p.m.
“We want to go on the road and bring the same amount of energy that we have here,” said Gurgel. “We will work this week to get prepared both mentally and physically.”
