A strong offensive night wasn't enough at Louisville Friday evening, as the Bulls' volleyball team suffered its second conference loss of the season.

USF (8-10 overall, 2-2 The American) had three starters hitting over .330 and hit .230 as a team, but couldn't answer for Louisville's .341 hitting percentage and late rallies, falling to the Cardinals in three sets, 20-25, 22-25, 19-25.

Sophomores Erin Fairs and Ciara Brown racked up 11 kills apiece, with Fairs commiting only one error on the outside and Brown hitting .333, giving the Bulls strong chances to win the first two sets and set the tone for the match.

The duo combined for nine of the Bulls' 15 kills in the first set, and USF tied things up at 19 late. Louisville responded with six of the next seven points, taking an early match lead.

The Bulls continued pushing in the second set, leading 19-17, then re-tying the set at 22 after the Cardinals took a lead. A big block from Brown and Andrea Rodriguez Gomez appeared to shift momentum in the Bulls' favor at 22-22, but Louisville once again finished strong, taking the final three points for a controlling 2-0 lead it wouldn't relinquish. 

USF out-dug Louisville 53-47, and out-blocked the Cardinals 5-1 in the match, getting a team-high three block assists from Jennica Mullins. Fairs led the team in digs with 14, with Amy Van Sant and Dakota Hampton also reaching double digits.

The Bulls travel to Cincinnati to face the Bearcats Sunday, where Andrea Rodriguez Gomez will shoot for the record books. USF's middle blocker is just one block assist from tying Allie Arbogast for second all-time in school history for block assists, sitting with 479 after the Louisville match.