NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 25, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (19-13, 10-10 The American) rallied from a 2-1 deficit at Tulane (18-14, 10-10) to record a five-set road victory over the Green Wave on Friday afternoon. The Bulls won with scores of 26-24, 21-25, 23-25, 25-17, and 15-11.
Three Bulls posted double-doubles in the victory. Senior outside hitter Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) compiled 20 digs and a team-high 15 kills. Senior outside hitter T'ara Austin (Joliet, Ill.) logged 15 digs and 11 kills. Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) tallied 53 assists and 14 digs in the win.
The 19 victories for USF are the most since the 2007 season.
Trailing 24-23 in the opening set, USF was facing set point at Tulane but the Bulls found a way to score three straight points for the first set win. Junior middle blocker Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.) notched five kills in six attempts.
After dropping the second and third sets, USF evened up the match with a convincing victory in the fourth. Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) guided the Bulls to a set four win with six kills.
The fifth set featured a number of runs including USF leading 5-1 and Tulane pulling ahead by a score of 10-9. In the end, the Bulls tallied six of the final seven points, including an ace from senior outside hitter Denise Belcher (Apopka, Fla.), to seal the road sweep for USF.
Quotables:
- USF head coach Courtney Draper on the Senior Day atmosphere and how the Bulls won: “Tulane is a great team. They also have six seniors playing in their final collegiate match so we knew it would be an epic battle. I'm proud of the way our team responded after the third set and moving into the fifth. We played with confidence and a refuse to lose attitude. I'm especially happy for our seniors to finish with such a stellar performance on the road. I'm thankful for this thanksgiving week of volleyball.”
Key Stat:
- The Bulls out-blocked Tulane 12-2.
Notables:
- USF is 27-7 all-time against Tulane.
- The Bulls and Green Wave split the season series with each team winning on the road.
- Holland notched 12 kills, five blocks and a .400 hitting percentage.
- Redshirt sophomore middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) totaled 13 kills, six blocks, and a .406 hitting percentage.
- Senior right side hitter Elyse Panick (Chicago) tallied a career-high tying 21 digs.
- Freshman libero Amber Weber (Ocala, Fla.) boasted a career-best 18 digs.
- It was the final match for the Bulls' six seniors – Austin, Belcher, Hampton, right side hitter Alexus Heidelberg (Winter Garden, Fla.), Panick, and libero Amy Van Sant (Atlanta).
Up Next:
This match completes the 2016 season for USF. The Bulls will begin next season in August 2017.
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 –
