TAMPA, Oct. 7, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (11-6, 2-3 The American) saw their season-long seven match home win streak come to an end with a 3-1 defeat to Tulane (11-6, 3-2) on Friday night.
The Green Wave won with scores of 25-17, 25-19, 20-25, 25-17.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Hannah Smith (Fleming Island, Fla.) registered a USF career-high 10 kills and a .588 hitting percentage in her first start with the Bulls.
After dropping the first two sets, USF surged ahead 5-0 in set number three. The Bulls utilized four kills each from senior outside hitter T'ara Austin (Joliet, Ill.) and redshirt middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) to force a fourth set.
USF also held an early 6-2 edge in the following set but Tulane rallied back. Tied at ten, the Green Wave totaled 15 of the last 22 points to claim the match.
Quotables:
- USF head coach Courtney Draper on the team's fight: “I like the way that we fought and battled in the third set but we couldn't sustain that fight.”
- Draper on Smith's career night: “Hannah was great. She led us in kills, worked hard in transition, and was our most efficient attacker tonight.”
Key Stat:
- Sarah Ray led Tulane with 19 kills and 18 digs.
Notables:
- USF is 26-7 all-time against Tulane
- This is just the second win for the Green Wave in 17 meetings at USF.
- Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) compiled 37 assists over four sets.
- Four Bulls players notched double digit dig totals.
- USF held Tulane to a .047 hitting percentage in the third set.
Up Next:
USF hosts Houston on Sunday at The Corral. First serve is set for 1 p.m. The team will also be holding a postgame clinic for middle school and younger students. 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 –
