Another balanced attack and strong defensive play carried the University of South Florida to its third consecutive win Friday night.
The Bulls (5-5 overall) posted at least 15 attacks from each of their six attackers, and had five players record at least eight kills as USF overcame a first-set loss to defeat James Madison (6-6) in four sets, 18-25, 25-14, 25-21, 25-16.
"We're getting better every week, and almost every practice," head coach Courtney Draper said. "Our sport takes a lot of chemistry in such a little area, and we are improving that each day."
USF impressed up the middle against the Dukes, getting strong production from Andrea Rodriguez Gomez and Caitlyn Breen early and often. The duo notched eight kills apiece, hitting an identical .333 and forcing James Madison to block all three positions.
"You need to establish the middle early, and both Caitlyn and Andrea did such a nice job that we continued to use them throughout the match," Draper said.
After losing the first set - one in which the Dukes could seemingly do no wrong, hitting .414 while blocking the Bulls four times - USF took control of the next three sets with an agressive serving game and steady defense, busting out four runs of at least five points, including a 10-0 serving run from sophomore outside hitter Valerie El Houssine.
"Part of our gameplan was to serve aggressively," El Houssine said. "We weren't afraid to make errors if they were aggressive errors, and I think that helped a lot."
El Houssine led the team with a pair of service aces, and also played a big part in the back row, collecting 16 digs as USF out-dug James Madison by a wide margin, 72-57. The Bulls funneled 22 digs to senior libero Claudia Cabrera, holding the Dukes to a .169 hitting percentage in the match.
Freshman Erin Fairs picked up a double-double, leading the Bulls with 15 kills and adding ten digs. Junior Kayla Walton added 11 kills, while freshman outside hitter Ciara Brown contributed eight. Freshman setter Natalia Soares was one dig away from her first-career double-double, posting 23 assists and nine digs as the Bulls extended their longest winning streak of the young season, heading into a 7 p.m. matchup against Bethune-Cookman Saturday.
"We've had a nice run of wins, and now we get to build on that," Draper said. "We're excited to be back playing in the Corral, and to try and continue this winning streak."
