MATCH #1: Thursday, Nov. 10 | 8 p.m. ET | at Tulsa | Live Stats | Watch Live
MATCH #2: Saturday, Nov. 12 | 2 p.m. ET | at SMU | Live Stats | Watch Live
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TAMPA, Nov. 9, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (16-10, 7-7 The American) is back on the road for a pair of matches at Tulsa (Nov. 10) and at SMU (Nov. 12).
The Bulls will look to return to their winning ways following defeats to UCF (Nov. 2) and Memphis (Nov. 4) during the previous week of action.
USF is currently in fifth place in the American Athletic Conference standings, one spot ahead of Tulsa. The Bulls will also match up with an SMU team that currently leads The American.
THE OPPONENTS
Tulsa (17-9, 6-8) is one of the hottest teams in the conference and is currently on a four-match winning streak. Most recently, the Golden Hurricane swept ECU (Nov. 4) and then topped first place Cincinnati (Nov. 6) on the road. Tulsa is 8-4 at home this season and has not lost at the Reynolds Center since Oct. 9. The Golden Hurricane are currently sixth in The American, one place higher than their ranking of seven in the preseason coaches' poll.
SMU (19-7, 12-2) has won six of their last seven matches with the only defeat being a road sweep at first-place Cincinnati (Nov. 4). The Mustangs are the reigning 2015 American Athletic Conference champions and currently have a one-game lead over Cincinnati and Temple in the conference standings.
The Bulls hold the slight 3-2 edge in the all-time series with Tulsa. USF won the previous meeting this season, 3-1, at The Corral (Oct. 23). Senior outside hitter T'ara Austin (Joliet, Ill.) notched a team-high 18 kills in the match.
Conversely, SMU has the narrow 5-3 lead against USF. SMU won, 3-1, at The Corral (Oct. 21), but the Bulls won the last meeting at SMU (Nov. 25, 2015) in four sets, upsetting the 2015 conference champions.
QUICK SETS
- USF leads The American in allowing the fewest blocks per set (1.57).
- The Bulls rank in the conference top five in digs per set (16.75).
- Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) is averaging 10.6 assists per set, third-most in The American this season. Mendoza also has 1,986 career assists at USF, and is 14 assists shy of becoming the ninth Bull in program history to reach 2,000.
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 1,500 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.
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