TULSA, SEPT. 27, 2014 - The University of South Florida volleyball team started its conference season out on the right foot Friday night, serving its way to a big win on the road.

The Bulls (7-6 overall, 1-0 The American) served up a season-high 12 aces, including four consecutive aces from junior Erin Fairs, to roll past Tulsa over four sets in the conference opener, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-19.

Along with a tough serving game, USF held a big blocking edge in a very defensive-minded match, stuffing the Golden Hurricanes 12 times to hold them to a .128 hitting percentage. Middle blockers Jennica Mullins and Brittany Kelly played a role in all 12 blocks, with freshman Adyson Goodnight helping out on six blocks of her own on the right side.

USF impressed offensively in the first set, combining 15 kills with a pair of service aces, and hitting .279 as a team to grab an early win. The Bulls trailed through the 20-point mark, falling behind by as many as five points, but used a pair of late service aces from Kelly, combined with three kills from Mullins on USF's last three points to secure the 25-22 first-set win.

Senior right side hitter Bree Scarbrough pounded out four kills in eight swings, leading the first-set offense for USF.

After a second set marred by 13 hitting errors, the Bulls found their groove in the third. Down 6-1 early, USF used four aces from Fairs to jump ahead by the 10-point mark, and never surrendered the lead for the rest of the match.

Sophomores Dakota Hampton and Amy Van Sant each dug up six balls in the third set alone, as USF used a strong defense and its serving game to take the set. Up 22-20, junior setter Natalia Soares served up back-to-back aces to bring up set point, and Goodnight closed the door with a big kill, sending the Bulls to the fourth set with another 25-22 win.

Goodnight recorded three kills in an errorless third set for the freshman, and added four more kills in the fourth, but Hampton stole the show in the final set, knocking down six kills in 12 swings, including the match-winner. For Hampton, it would be part of a 12-kill, 19-dig night, leading the Bulls' defense.

Fairs grabbed her ninth double-double of the season, contributing 12 kills and 16 digs, while liberos Amy Van Sant and Wylie Devlin both posted double-digit digs – 13 and 10, respectively – while playing two sets apiece.

The Bulls travel to SMU Sunday, looking to improve to 2-0 against the Mustangs, who lost just their second match of the year Friday night in a five-set setback against UCF.