University of South Florida
Wright State
Bulls Improve to 5-0 at Home with Sweep of WSU
September 17, 2016 | Women's Volleyball
TAMPA, Sept. 17, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (8-3) remained undefeated at home with a 3-0 sweep (25-19,25-20,25-22) of Wright State (4-8) in the USF Classic on Saturday afternoon.
The Bulls' have now won five straight home matches to begin the season and will look to remain undefeated at home when the team hosts LIU Brooklyn on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.
Senior right side hitter Elyse Panick (Chicago) posted a team-high 11 kills and another 13 digs in the win.
Junior middle blocker Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.) guided USF to a first set victory with five kills in seven attempts. The Bulls hit .378 early on against the Raiders.
USF never trailed in the second set on their way to a 2-0 advantage. Senior outside hitters Denise Belcher (Apopka, Fla.) and Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) notched four kills each in the set.
The Bulls then persevered through seven ties and three lead changes in set three to complete the sweep.
Quotables:
- Head coach Courtney Draper on the total team win: “I am really proud of Dakota and Elyse posting double-doubles. Defensively, Amy Van Sant and Alex Mendoza looked really, really good. The middles hit at a really high efficiency. Everybody just did their job well today.”
Key Stat:
- Three Bulls achieved 10 or more kills as the defense boasted four players with 10+ digs.
Notables:
- USF now leads Wright State 3-2 in the all-time series.
- The Bulls have won back-to-back meetings with the Raiders.
- Belcher finished with 10 kills and eight digs.
- Hampton added another 10 kills with a team-high tying 16 digs.
- Holland compiled a .450 hitting percentage with nine kills in 20 attempts.
- Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) contributed another 38 assists.
- Senior setter Amy Van Sant (Atlanta, Ga.) notched a team-high 16 digs.
Up Next:
The Bulls complete the USF Classic on Saturday evening when they host LIU Brooklyn at 7 p.m. 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 –
