TAMPA, Nov. 20, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (17-13, 8-10 The American) received a team-high 12 kills and a .393 hitting percentage from senior outside hitter T'ara Austin (Joliet, Ill.) in a three-set defeat to Temple (21-7, 14-4) on Sunday afternoon.
The Bulls lost the 2016 home finale by scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-17.
Temple won the first set despite four kills each from Austin (Joliet, Ill.), Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) and Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.).
USF staged a late rally in the second set to trail Temple 24-23, but an Irem Asci kill earned the Owls a two set to none advantage.
The Bulls began the third set with back-to-back points but Temple surged back to record the eight point victory and the three set win.
Quotables:
- USF head coach Courtney Draper on the match: “It is disappointing to not get the win on the last match of the season in your home facility.”
- Draper on Austin: “She had a great match for us and it was one of the best in her career here…she was really efficient on offense.”
- Austin on the match: “We had a lot of fight in the second set. We didn't finish the way that we wanted to but we have to learn how to press forward and keep on it. We just beat this team (in October) and I feel like we could have done the same today if we came out stronger.”
Key Stat:
- The Owls outhit the Bulls .316 to .210.
Notables:
- USF is 11-5 in the all-time series with Temple.
- The two teams split the season series.
- Holland totaled seven kills in 14 attempts.
- Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) totaled a team-best 30 assists.
- Senior libero Amy Van Sant compiled a team-high 13 digs.
Up Next:
The Bulls complete the 2016 season on the road with matches at Houston on Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. ET and at Tulane on Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. ET.
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 –
