Bulls Handle Huskies in Four Sets Friday

Bulls Handle Huskies in Four Sets Friday

STORRS, Conn., Nov. 17, 2017 – The University of South Florida volleyball team won its final Friday match in conference play, taking down UConn in four sets (25-20, 25-12, 14-25, 25-20).   

The Huskies (11-18, 4-13 The American) jumped out to a 14-6 lead in the opening set. But the Bulls (12-15, 7-10 The American) answered with an 8-0 run to tie it at 14-14. With the score again knotted up, 19-19, USF used a 6-1 run to close the set and complete the comeback, winning 25-20.
 
The Bulls jumped on UConn early in the second set, leading 6-0. The advantage extended to 11, 16-5, and did not dip below eight, as the Bulls ran away with set two, 25-12.
 
After the Huskies took the third set, the fourth set was tied early on. Leading 9-8, a 5-1 USF run gave the Bulls a 14-9 advantage, as freshman Doris Carter (Lexington, Ky.) had a pair of kills during the stretch. UConn cut the margin to one, 20-19. Powered by two more kills from Carter, USF used another 5-1 run to close the set and the match.
 
QUOTABLES
 
Head coach Courtney Draper on the team's ability to come back in the first set:
"We definitely started off a bit sluggish, but we went on a big serving run with Doris back there to tie it. We did a great job of executing the game plan and played very smart volleyball which set us up for success in the second set."
 
Head coach Courtney Draper speaking on the bounce back after dropping set three:
"UConn made some changes and were very difficult to defend in the third set. But everyone was able to refocus and we really stayed aggressive from start to finish in set four."
 
Head coach Courtney Draper on the two-game win streak and leadership of the team:
"I was very impressed with Joli and Priscilla tonight offensively as well as both setters on the defensive side. The seniors on this team are playing with a sense of urgency and having a lot of success because of it."
 
KEY NUMBERS

13: The Bulls had 13 more kills than the Huskies (52-39). It was the second-largest kill differential for USF during conference play this season.
7: The win marks the seventh American Athletic Conference win for USF. The Bulls have reached at least seven conference victories in seven-consecutive seasons.
9: Getting great balance of late, nine Bulls recorded kills.
 
NOTABLES
  • Senior outside hitter Priscilla Ehieze (Houston) tallied a match-high 10 kills while hitting .381.
  • Carter totaled eight kills and 11 digs and senior Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.) matched with eight kills of her own.
  • Setters Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) and Briana Stowell (Orlando) had identical stat lines with 19 assists and nine digs apiece. Stowell added three kills and Mendoza added an ace and a kill.
UP NEXT
USF wraps up its final conference weekend in Philadelphia with a Sunday matinee against Temple at 1:00 p.m.          

About USF Volleyball
In addition to 10 newcomers, USF returns a large core of talent for 2017, led by senior setter Alex Mendoza, who surpassed the 2,000 assist total in 2016 and posted a team-high 1,125 helpers. Redshirt-junior middle blocker Clara Payne finished second on the team with 340 points and senior middle blocker Joli Holland finished fourth with 251.5 points. The Bulls are guided by sixth-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 –
Print Friendly Version

Related News