Less than a week after a thrilling five-set comeback win at Cincinnati, the USF volleyball team was at it again.

The Bulls (10-10 overall, 4-2 The American) survived a 2-1 deficit Friday night, winning the final two sets in Dallas, Texas to top SMU on the road. USF out-blocked the Mustangs 12-9 to climb back to .500, winning 25-17, 14-25, 15-25, 25-21, 15-10.

Junior Jennica Mullins had a huge night at the net, blocking down nine balls, including a pair of solo blocks, to give the Bulls' offense a chance to recover from a slow second and third set. The Bulls hit just .096 in the sets they lost, but looked much better in the three sets they won, hitting at a .300 clip.

Scoring seven of the first eight points of the match, USF set an error-free tone early, committing just three hitting errors en route to a 25-17 first-set win over the Mustangs. The Bulls got two early kills and a service ace from senior Andrea Rodriguez Gomez, and dominated with a balanced attack which saw every USF hitter take between 3-7 swings.

As quickly as the Bulls jumped ahead in the first set, SMU did the same in the second, opening up a 12-3 lead over USF while hitting .414. Sophomore Kayla Bivins tried to pull the Bulls back into the set, collecting three kills and a block in a span of six points, but the Mustangs' offense proved to be too much in the second set, overtaking the Bulls 25-14. Bivins' four kills were the highlight for USF as the Bulls headed to intermission tied with SMU at one set apiece.

After the Mustangs repeated their success in the third set, winning 25-15 over USF, SMU appeared to be in control of the fourth set as well. The Bulls fell behind 9-15 before rattling off an 11-2 run, grabbing a lead of at least two for the first time since the first set. USF continued its hot streak through the set, getting a team-high five kills and five digs from Erin Fairs to force a fifth set, 25-21.

Tied at four in the fifth, the Bulls pounded out a 7-1 run to grab a commanding 12-5 lead. Fairs knocked out four kills in four swings, and received help from Ciara Brown's three kills as USF out-hit SMU .474-.062 in the final set, winning 15-10 and improving to 4-2 in the conference.

Fairs led the Bulls in kills and digs, earning 13 in each category. For the sophomore, it was her 15th double-double of the season. Bivins added 10 kills and four blocks, and Rodriguez Gomez hit .500 with seven kills and three service aces. The Bulls served nine aces in the match, and have averaged just shy of two aces per set over their last two matches.

USF travels to face Houston Sunday afternoon before returning home for the next two weeks.