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Scoreboard
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Team
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Set 1
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Set 2
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Set 3
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Set 4
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Set 5
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Final
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| USF |
26 |
25 |
23 |
28 |
16 |
3 |
| Pittsburgh |
28 |
21 |
25 |
26 |
14 |
2 |
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PITTSBURGH- The University of South Florida volleyball team may be down at times, but they are never out. The Bulls proved that on Saturday night, by beating Pittsburgh in five sets in dramatic fashion, to improve to 4-1 in league play.
The Bulls trailed in the fifth set 6-1, and looked to be out of it, but the team would not give up, pecking and chipping away at the Panther lead eventually getting the score to 14-11.
Facing match point in front of Pittsburgh's home crowd, USF was able to reel off five straight points to take the set, 16-14, and the match, 3-2.
Claire Lessinger gives her team a quote before every game, for them to think about, and the one she told the team before Saturday's match couldn't have been more fitting.
“Don't let up when ahead and don't quit when behind.”
The Bulls battled all the way back in the decisive fifth set, after trailing by scores of 6-1, 12-7 and 14-11 before taking the match against their BIG EAST foe.
The Bulls took their lead from senior outside hitter Allie Boaz, who collected a career high 28 kills in the win, including a pair of crucial kills to help take set four after facing match point at 24-22. The senior added four block assists and one solo block.
The offense once again revolved around setter Mariana Thon, another senior, who set up 64 assists in the five sets. Thon and Boaz were on the same page throughout the match, each setting a season high for assists and kills.
The Bulls outhit pit .272 to .197 in the win, and out-blocked the Panthers 14.0 to 10.0 in the five set match.
USF and Pittsburgh started their back-and-forth action early on, as both teams exchanged leads, before the Panthers eventually stretched their lead to 24-20. The Bulls were ready to battle, and fought off four straight set points, but were not able to close out the win, falling 28-26.
In set number two, the Bulls pulled out to an early lead, hitting .515 as a team and collecting 21 kills in the set, and were able to hold off the Pittsburgh comeback to tie the match at one set apiece, 25-21.
The third set was highly contested, with both teams exchanging points throughout, before Pittsburgh was able to put away the Bulls and take the set 25-23.
The Bulls made another comeback in the fourth set, and were able to fight off a pair of Pittsburgh match points to set up the decisive fifth set.
USF fell behind 6-1 in the final frame, but pulled off the comeback on back-to-back kills by Kayla Walton, to help USF improve to 4-1 in league play.
The Bulls will be right back in action on Sunday, as they travel to Morgantown, W. Va. to take on the Mountaineers in the second leg of the BIG EAST trip.
