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The University of South Florida
volleyball team's tournament run came to a close Saturday night.
The Bulls (17-14 overall) could not
find an answer to Marquette's balanced attack, strong service game and active
block, falling in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament in four sets,
25-16, 25-20, 25-27, 25-22.
Second seed Marquette outhit USF
.250-.142, making up for the Bulls' 10-7 advantage in the blocking game, and 6-2
advantage in service aces. USF did not lead after the 13-point mark in any of
the three lost sets, falling shy of its shot at a championship game.
Tied at 19 in the fourth, USF was
just six points from forcing a fifth set, but a 4-0 run from Marquette
distanced the Golden Eagles, putting a cap on the Bulls' Big East season.
USF was forced out of system in the
first set by a tough Marquette serve, and made eight hitting errors as a
result. The Golden Eagles, on the other hand, looked sharp in the first,
collecting 14 kills from five different players to grab control of the set
early, and take the 25-16 win. Junior Kayla Walton led the Bulls' attack with
three kills in the first set, and junior Andrea Rodriguez Gomez added a pair of
blocks.
USF adjusted defensively in the
second set, extending points and allowing the Bulls' offense to make some
plays, but Marquette's block continued to create problems for USF, forcing
eight attack errors to help send the Golden Eagles to the locker room with a
2-0 lead.
In need of a win, the Bulls rattled
off four service aces in the third set, including back-to-back aces from
freshman Erin Fairs, to take the third set and try to build momentum. But
Marquette finished off the fourth strong, ending the Bulls' run at a tournament
title.
Walton and senior J'beria Davis led
the USF offense with 11 kills apiece, while senior Caitlyn Breen added seven
kills, hitting .500, and Rodriguez Gomez contributed nine kills and six blocks.
Senior libero Claudia Cabrera and freshman
Erin Fairs notched 15 digs each – Fairs also added three aces in the match.
Freshman Natalia Soares led the team in assists, with 25.
USF plays its final regular season
match against Central Michigan Saturday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. inside the Corral.
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