Austin's 18 kills and Mendoza's 47 assists highlight USF's win

TAMPA, Oct. 23, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (15-7, 6-4 The American) received 18 kills from senior T'ara Austin (Joliet, Ill.) and 47 assists from junior Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) in a four set victory over Tulsa (13-9, 2-8) on Sunday afternoon.

The Bulls won with scores of 25-22, 15-25, 25-22, and 25-21.

After being tied one set a piece, USF rallied to win the third and fourth sets, holding off Tulsa's comeback bids in the weekend capping Bulls victory.

In a back and forth first set, the Bulls responded from a 22-20 deficit to claim the final five points. Outside hitter T'ara Austin tallied a team-high seven kills in the set, including two to fuel the late surge.

After dropping the second set, the Bulls notched a three point victory in the third. Austin provided another five kills as redshirt sophomore middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) posted four additional kills.

USF put the match away in the fourth set with five kills from both Austin and senior Denise Belcher (Apopka, Fla.).

Quotables:

• USF head coach Courtney Draper on T'ara Austin's performance: “She was on fire.”
• Draper on Belcher's spark off the bench: “Denise was also hot on offense…I encouraged her to stay aggressive and play the high-and-fast game that she is good at.”
• Austin on what was her key to the match: “I saw energy, grit and the will to win today.”
• Belcher on coming out of intermission to win the third and fourth sets: “I saw a lot of hype and hustle from our team.”

Key Stat:

• Alex Mendoza contributed 47 assists and 13 digs for USF, the only double-double in the match.

Notables:

• Tulsa is 3-2 all-time against USF.
• This was the first home win for the Bulls against the Golden Hurricane (previously 0-2).
• Payne compiled 12 kills and a .280 hitting percentage in the match.
• Redshirt junior middle blocker Hannah Smith (Fleming Island, Fla.) totaled 10 kills and a .429 hitting percentage. Smith and senior right side hitter Elyse Panick (Chicago) had five block assists each.
• Belcher ended the day with eight kills and a .300 hitting percentage in three sets.
• Senior libero Amy Van Sant (Atlanta) recorded a team-high 17 digs.

Up Next:

USF continues its season-long five match homestand when the Bulls host East Carolina on Thursday. It is Salute to Service night as troops will be honored during the match. The USF ROTC and Color Guard will also be on hand.

First serve is set for 7 p.m. at The Corral.

Tickets are only $5 and fans can purchase their tickets HERE.

About USF Volleyball

The USF volleyball program has reached the NCAA Tournament seven times and boasts seven conference championships. In 2016, the Bulls return 10 players from last season including their top eight point scorers from a year ago. USF also brings back senior outside hitter Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.), who was named to the 2016 American Athletic Conference preseason team. The 6-0 start was the program's longest winning streak to begin a season since 2000. The Bulls are guided by fifth year head coach Courtney Draper. Follow the volleyball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.  

– #GoBulls –