STARKVILLE, Miss., Sept. 2, 2017 – The University of South Florida volleyball team cruised to a straight-sets victory over Grambling State (25-12, 25-17, 25-10) in the final match of the Bulldog Invitational. Redshirt-junior middle blocker Clare Payne (Osteen, Fla.) was named to the all-tournament team.
 
In total, nine Bulls (2-4) recorded kills. USF held a 4-3 early lead in the opening set, then used a 10-0 run to take a 14-3 edge over the Tigers (1-6), aiding in a 25-12 win. The Bulls jumped out to a 12-4 lead in the second set thanks to kills from six different players. The Tigers got no closer than six the remainder of the set, as USF went on to win 25-17.
 
In the third set, Grambling State came out aggressive and held an early 5-4 lead. USF righted the ship with the next four points and never looked back. The Bulls ended the set on a 21-5 run to clinch the match win.
 
KEY STATS

• Payne tallied match highs of six kills and six blocks. She had a .857 hitting percentage.
• Seniors Joli Holland (Dublin, Calif.) and Priscilla Ehieze (Houston, Texas) each recorded five kills and combined for seven blocks.
• Senior setter Alex Mendoza (Minneola, Fla.) was everywhere, tallying match highs of 21 assists and four service aces while adding five kills and five digs.  

 
QUOTABLES: 

Head coach Courtney Draper on her team's ability to bounce back with an impressive display:
"As a whole we were sharp and consistent today. Our middies were excellent both offensively and defensively. Our solid passing from the setters really allowed us to spread the offense and get contributions from a number of people."     
 
NOTABLES

• The Bulls served up 12 aces as a team.
• Mendoza tallied 84 assists during the tournament.
• Payne has now been named to all-tournament teams in each of the first two weekends. She combined for 20 kills and 10 total blocks at the Bulldog Invitational.
   

UP NEXT
The Bulls return home for the USF Classic Sept. 8-9. All three matches will streamed on Facebook Live.  


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.