Amy Van Sant added 17 digs; Elyse Panick notched 11 digs and eight kills for the Bulls
TAMPA, Nov. 2, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (16-9, 7-6 The American) was defeated in three sets by rival UCF (19-7, 9-4) in the War On I-4 matchup on Wednesday night.
UCF won with scores of 25-21, 25-20, and 26-24.
Senior outside hitter Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) notched seven kills in the match, including the 1.000th of her USF career. Fellow senior Elyse Panick (Chicago) also provided 11 digs, eight kills and a .412 hitting percentage.
The Knights won back-to-back close sets to take the 2-0 advantage at the Sun Dome.
The Bulls led for most of the third set, thanks to seven Hampton kills, and looked poised to extend the match. However, UCF tied the set at 22 and ended the match with four of the final six points.
Quotables:
- USF head coach Courtney Draper on Hampton's impact in the third set and her milestone: “Dakota brought a huge spark for us…I'm so proud of Dakota. She has had a great career for us.”
- Draper on Panick's performance: “Elyse had a great performance tonight. She did a great job killing the ball, hit at a really high efficiency, was a great blocker for us and was second on the team in digs.”
Key Stat:
- Five Bulls posted six or more kills.
Notables:
- USF is 49-33 all-time against UCF.
- The Knights swept the volleyball season series and lead the War On I-4 15-9.
- Senior outside hitter Denise Belcher (Apopka, Fla.) recorded a team-high 10 kills.
- Junior setter Alex Mendoza contributed 34 assists.
- Senior libero Amy Van Sant (Atlanta) registered 17 digs.
Up Next:
USF is on the road for the next three matches at Memphis (Nov. 4), Tulsa (Nov. 10) and SMU (Nov. 12). The Bulls return home to host UConn (Nov. 18). The team will hold senior night ceremonies and a postgame autograph signing as well.
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 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 –
