LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of South Florida volleyball team fought back from a 2-0 deficit to force a fifth set against the No. 16 Kentucky (3-2 overall) but fell in the final set, 15-10.
The Bulls (1-3 overall) dropped sets one and two, 25-20 and 25-22, respectively but battled back defeating the Wildcats, 25-23 and 25-21 in next two sets.
Sophomore transfer J'beria Davis led the Bulls with her first double-double of her young USF career. Her 16 kills was a match high while adding 10 digs. Sophomores Maija Strazdina and Caitlyn Breen also had double-digit kill performances with 14 and 10, respectively. This is the first time in Breen's career that she has had atleast 10 kills.
Four Bulls highlighted the defense with double-digit digs, led by sophomore Jessica Burghart with 14, a new career high. Junior Janice Rivera scooped 13 and senior Mariana Thon had 10. Thon added a match high 47 assists.
The No. 16 Wildcats held a slight advantage in kills, 62-57, but was a little more efficient in attack percentage at .227 to .146.
The Bulls came out of the gates fighting against the 2009 SEC Champions. With 16 tied scores and seven lead changes, USF was unable to take an early 1-0 lead.
An attack error by Kentucky's Lauren Rapp on the first attempt gave the Bulls the first point of the match. Two service errors back-to-back kept the game even at 2-2. Davis took two sets from Thon to even the score at four.
A kill by Strazdina evened the score at 17 but that was as close as USF would get in the first set, failing by five, 25-20.
Although the final score was close in the second set, the Bulls did not take the lead once.
The Bulls entered the locker room down 2-0 but came out playing with nothing to lose. Strazdina was the go-to player as she hammered down seven kills in the third set.
Down early, 7-3, the Bulls evened the score on a 4-0 run, first on a Breen kills followed by three straight dingers by Strazdina. Rivera would freeze defender Whiney Billings as she floated a serve for an ace.
With Kentucky at a 13-12 advantage, the Bulls would go on another crucial run. After a Wildcat service error, Strazdina would land two aces in three attempts to give USF its first lead of the set. Freshman Rodriguez Gomez put the Bulls up by three with one of her three kills of the set.
At 24-21, Kentucky pulled within one but Rodriguez Gomez's kill closed the set 25-23.
Trailing 2-1, USF had to win the set to keep the match alive. The Bulls outhit the Wildcats, .243 to .111 to head into a fifth and final set.
Once again in a back-and-forth set, the Bulls did not lead until 6-5 on a Strazdina kill. At 11-9, senior Allie Boaz gave the Bulls a three-point lead with a kill. Back-to-back attack errors from Kentucky's' Ann Armes extended USF's lead, 13-9. Strazdina earned her third ace and helped the Bulls to a five-point advantage.
Kentucky never led the rest of the set or even pulled within three as the Bulls defeated the Wildcats, 25-20.
With the fifth set determining the victor of the match, the Bulls entered that situation for only the first time this year. USF held a 3-2 lead but six attack errors to Kentucky's three allowed the Wildcats to squeak by the Bulls.
The Bulls will conclude the Kentucky Classic with a match against Miami (OH) at 5:30 p.m. at the Memorial Coliseum.
