TAMPA, Sept. 16, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (7-3) swept Stetson (25-15,25-14,25-19) in the USF Classic on Friday night.
Junior middle blocker Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.) recorded seven kills, a .429 hitting percentage and six blocks in the victory. USF has now won 19 straight meetings against Stetson.
In first set action, the Bulls and Stetson Hatters (2-10) were tied at nine before USF closed the opening set on a 16-6 run. The Bulls defense held the Hatters to a lowly .037 hitting percentage early on.
Up one set to none, USF led for most of the second set, hitting .417 on their way to a 2-0 advantage. Junior Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) contributed 10 assists in the first set and another 13 in the second set.
The third set was the closest of the night, featuring nine ties and five lead changes. With senior Denise Belcher (Apopka, Fla.) and Holland serving, the Bulls broke a 13-13 deadlock by tallying six of the next seven points. USF earned 12 of the final 18 points to complete the sweep.
Quotables:
- Head coach Courtney Draper on playing Stetson again: “I thought (we) came out really focused. It's tough when you already played the opponent once during the year and won.”
- Draper on her keys to the match: “We focused a lot on serving and passing (this week in practice) and I thought we were really efficient on both tonight.”
- Joli Holland on the team's performance: “We moved a lot of different players around and did a lot of different things, but we didn't shake at all.”
Key Stat:
- Joli Holland averaged 2.0 blocks per set to fuel the Bulls win.
Notables:
- With the win, USF remains undefeated at home (4-0).
- Each of the last two Bulls' home victories have come against Stetson.
- USF has not lost to Stetson since 1985.
- Mendoza finished the night with 31 assists, a 10.3 assist per set average.
- With her eighth kill of the evening, Dakota Hampton surpassed the 100 kill total this season.
- The Bulls hit .317 as a team in the win and posted a 75 side out percentage.
Up Next:
The USF Classic continues with four matches on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. The Bulls will host Wright State at 1 p.m. and LIU Brooklyn at 7 p.m. All matches will be in the USF Sun Dome. Saturday is also Greek Life night with the highest attending fraternity/sorority receiving a $250 prize for their chapter. Fans can purchase season, tournament, or single match 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 will 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 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 –
