TAMPA, Nov. 18, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (17-12, 8-9 The American) honored six seniors on Friday night and most played a pivotal role in the Bulls' sweep of UConn (16-11, 7-9) at The Corral.
Senior outside hitter Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) led all players with 12 kills as senior right side hitter Elyse Panick (Chicago) posted a match-high 17 digs in the Bulls' win.
USF won with scores of 25-22, 25-19, and 25-10.
The first set was tied at 20 until USF claimed five of the last seven points. Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) posted four kills in the opening set and each set of the match.
Senior Amy Van Sant (Atlanta, Ga.) played a major role in the second set, providing eight digs, and fueling the Bulls' offense to go ahead two sets to none. Junior middle blocker Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.) notched four kills in four attempts.
The Bulls completed the sweep with a double digit victory in the third set. USF held UConn to a .000 hitting percentage in the last set.
Quotables:
- USF head coach Courtney Draper on how the Bulls won: “Everything went right for the Bulls tonight. We were awesome on offense and that was one of the best defenses we have played all season. We were firing on all cylinders and there was not a single player who had a bad night. Everyone played great tonight.”
- Draper on the seniors: “I love this group of seniors. They are very near and dear to my heart. Three of them have been with us from the start and the other three transferred in late and made an equally strong impact in this program. I love them as people and as players and they have just represented our program well in their time here.”
- Hampton on the senior's impact: “It was great to see all the seniors step up and play their best.”
- Panick on the team chemistry: “We really worked together well as a team and I think we had a lot of heart.”
Key Stat:
- The Bulls outhit the Huskies .304 to .151.
Notables:
- USF leads the all-time series 9-8.
- The Bulls swept the season series from the Huskies.
- USF honored six seniors in a pre-match ceremony – T'ara Austin, Denise Belcher, Dakota Hampton, Alexus Heidelberg, Elyse Panick and Amy Van Sant.
- Austin (Joliet, Ill.) added seven kills and five digs.
- Holland totaled nine kills, a .615 hitting percentage, and three blocks.
- Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) posted 33 assists.
- Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) reached double figures with 10 kills and a .385 hitting percentage.
- Van Sant compiled 16 digs on the night.
- The Bulls recorded a 69 percent side out percentage in the victory.
Up Next:
The Bulls complete the home portion of the 2016 schedule on Sunday with a 1 p.m. match against Temple. The team will hold their annual Family Day ceremony prior to the match and a postgame clinic for middle school and younger students.
Home 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 have won three conference player of the week honors this year and have landed five honorees on the weekly honor roll. Hampton recorded her 1,000th dig and 1,000th kill this season, becoming the ninth player in program history to achieve both at USF. Senior libero Amy Van Sant (Atlanta) also compiled her 1,000th dig this year and junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) has surpassed the 2,000 assist total. 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 –
