USF Athletics

Bulls Hit Mississippi for the Bulldog Invitational

August 31, 2017

Tournament Schedule
Match 1: Friday, Sept. 1 | 11 a.m. | USF vs. Stephen F. Austin
Match 2: Friday, Sept. 1 | 3 p.m. | USF vs. Mississippi State
Match 3: Saturday, Sept. 2 | Noon | USF vs. Grambling State

TAMPA, Sept. 24, 2017 – The University of South Florida volleyball team travels to Starkville Ms., for the Bulldog Invitational, hosted by Mississippi State.
 
The Bulls (1-2) will take on Stephen F. Austin and the host Bulldogs on Friday, followed by Grambling State on Saturday. The matchup against the Bulldogs (2-1) on Friday at 3 p.m. can be seen on SECNetwork+. Live stats can be found on HailState.com. 

USF opened the season at home for the first time since 2013 last weekend, hosting Northwestern, LSU and UAPB for the USF Invitational. The Bulls went 1-2, battling the Wildcats in the opening match on Friday night before falling in four close sets. USF rolled to a straight-sets victory against UAPB in the opening match Saturday and dropped the final match to tournament champs LSU.
 
Senior outside hitter Priscilla Ehieze (Houston, Texas) led the Bulls with 29 kills over the weekend and led the tournament with a .520 attack percentage. She recorded a career-best 13 kills against LSU. Junior libero Maria McLamb (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) led the USF Invitational with 4.50 digs per set while adding six assists. Redshirt-junior middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) totaled 17 points on 13 kills and two assists over the weekend with six blocks. Ehieze and Payne were named to the all-tournament team.   
 
The Field

Stephen F. Austin: Coming off a 20-11 season, the Ladyjacks shook off a season-opening defeat and have won three-straight. Junior outside hitter Haley Coleman leads Stephen F. Austin with 41 kills. Sophomore setter Ann Hollas has recorded no fewer than 16 assists in each of the first four matches. She leads the Southland Conference with 93 assists.   
 
Mississippi State: The Bulldogs opened the season winning two of three at the SMU Invitational in Dallas last weekend. Junior setter Morgan Kath was involved in nearly every point, assisting on 149 kills to rank 25th in the country. Senior right-side hitter Jelena Vujcin was on the receiving end of 55 of those assists to lead the team. Collectively, the Bulldogs rank 25th nationally with 24 service aces.  
 
Grambling State: The Tigers are coming off a four-sets victory on Tuesday after dropping a pair of matches at the ISTAP Tournament in Montgomery, Ala. Grambling State has five players with double-digit kills, led by sophomore outside hitter Chasity Nicks (19) and junior right-side hitter Kevreion Ward (16). Senior setter Diemend Richardson leads the Tigers with 37 assists.

Notables

• Ehieze sits 15th in the country with her .520 attack percentage.
• The Bulls have fared well against this weekend's opponents, posting a combined 9-2 record.
• USF holds an 8-2 series edge against Mississippi State, last meeting in 2010. The Bulls defeated Grambling State in the only encounter in 2008.

About USF Volleyball
In addition to 10 newcomers, USF returns a slew of talent for 2017, led by senior setter Alex Mendoza, who surpassed the 2,000 assist total in 2016 and led the Bulls with 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. 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 –