TAMPA, Sept. 17, 2016 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (9-3) played in four tournaments this season and the Bulls won three of them!
With a 3-0 sweep of LIU Brooklyn (3-10) on Saturday night, the Bulls claimed the 2016 USF Classic championship, never losing a single set in the entire tournament. The Bulls have now won the Charlotte Invitational, USF Invitational and USF Classic all before conference play begins next week.
Junior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) piloted the Bulls offense with 41 assists and was named tournament MVP. Mendoza, senior outside hitter Dakota Hampton (Orland Park, Ill.) and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) were each honored on the all-tournament team.
USF trailed 24-21 in the opening set but Hampton changed the Bulls fortune. Her key block made the score 25-24 USF and guided the Bulls to a thrilling opening set victory.
In set two, USF led from start to finish with six kills each from Payne (Osteen, Fla.) and senior Denise Belcher (Apopka, Fla.).
Tied 5-5 in the third set, USF utilized a Hampton kill to begin a 10-0 run, nine of which came with senior Elyse Panick (Chicago) serving.
Quotables:
- Head coach Courtney Draper on coming back from behind in set one: “We definitely started out a little slow in the first set…but we were able to come back and win that first set. The momentum that we had from that first set just kept rolling through the second and third sets.”
- Draper on winning the third tournament title this season: “Winning a couple tournaments during this preseason is really good for our team's confidence prior to conference play.”
- Payne on winning three tournament titles: “We have a great team this year and we mesh really well. We are a dangerous team.”
Key Stat:
- Hampton notched seven kills to fuel a set one comeback win, ensuring the Bulls never lost a set all weekend.
Notables:
This win is the first victory for USF over LIU Brooklyn (previously 0-2).
The Bulls are a perfect 6-0 at home this season and have won their last seven home matches dating back to last season.
USF hit .339 and held Brooklyn to a .097 hitting percentage.
The Bulls recorded 48 kills compared to 27 for the Blackbirds.
Belcher totaled 14 kills, a .423 hitting percentage and 11 digs.
Hampton ended the night with 15 kills, a .424 hitting percentage, and nine digs.
Payne compiled 10 kills, no errors and a .500 hitting percentage.
Up Next:
The Bulls begin conference play at UCF on Wednesday. USF returns home to host Memphis on Sunday, Sept. 25 at noon. 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 –
