HOUSTON, Nov. 23, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (18-13, 9-10 The American) notched a 3-0 road sweep at Houston (5-25, 0-19) on Wednesday afternoon. The Bulls won with scores of 25-15, 25-18, and 25-20.
With the victory, USF has 18 wins this season, the most since Courtney Draper became the Bulls' head coach in 2012.
Defense played an overwhelming factor in the match as USF out-blocked Houston 13-5 and forced UH into a .048 hitting percentage.
The Bulls were behind 5-1 early in the first set, but tallied nine straight points on their way to an opening set victory.
USF never trailed in the second set, leading wire-to-wire for a 2-0 advantage in the match.
The third set, which featured 12 ties and seven lead changes, was the most competitive of the match. Even at 15, USF notched 10 of the final 15 points to earn the victory.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) compiled seven kills, seven blocks and a .467 hitting percentage. Senior right side hitter Elyse Panick (Chicago) recorded nine digs, seven kills, and five blocks. Freshman libero Amber Weber (Ocala, Fla.) posted a career-high 16 digs. Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) bundled 32 assists and 10 digs for a double-double.
Quotables:
- USF head coach Courtney Draper on the win: “Our kids did a great job defensively. Five different players had three blocks or more…I'm very proud of the level of focus our kids displayed today.”
- Draper on the key contributors: “Amber played an excellent match as our team's libero and Alex distributed the ball very well to our attackers.”
- Payne on the victory: “All of us came together to get a big win for our birthday girl, T'ara! We came out with tough serves and finished out strong.”
- Panick on how the Bulls won: “We played with a lot of teamwork and stayed positive throughout the whole match. We were having fun out there together and that's always a great feeling.”
Key Stat:
- Four Bulls totaled 10 or more digs in the win.
Notables:
- USF's win creates a 13-13 split in the all-time series with UH.
- The Bulls swept the season series from the Cougars.
- USF is 6-2 vs. Houston under the direction of Coach Draper.
- Senior outside hitter T'ara Austin (Joliet, Ill.) totaled 10 digs and seven kills on her 22nd birthday.
- Senior outside hitter Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) had 14 digs and a match-high nine kills.
Up Next:
The Bulls conclude the 2016 season 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 –
