The University of South Florida volleyball team continues to prove it can play with any team in the conference.

The Bulls (10-9 overall, 2-4 BIG EAST) continued to match wits against strong opposition Sunday, coming back from a 2-0 match-deficit at Marquette before losing in the fifth to the unbeaten Golden Eagles, 25-11, 31-29, 21-25, 18-25, 15-12.

Marquette showcased its offense early, hitting .739 in the first set, but was held to a more manageable .280 average in sets 2-4, as the Bulls adapted the the Golden Eagles' high-powered offense.

USF meanwhile posted one of its strongest all-around offensive attacks of the season, collecting four double-digit kill performances, and nearly missing a fifth as junior Andrea Rodriguez Gomez finished with nine kills and hit .368.

The Bulls hit .284 as a team, and out-dug Marquette to slow down the Golden Eagles' offense. Marquette made up for it in the end however, using 14.5 team blocks - including the match-winner - to end the Bulls' comeback hopes.

Junior Kayla Walton played a strong role for the Bulls, contributing a team-high 16 kills and hitting .429. Senior Valerie El Houssine followed suit with 11 kills and 16 digs, while freshmen Ciara Brown and Erin Fairs had 11 and 10 kills, respectively.

USF returns home for four straight matches at the Corral, beginning Friday at 7 p.m. against Villanova.