TAMPA, OCTOBER 12, 2018 – The USF volleyball team fell to UConn in a back-and-forth five set battle Friday night (20-25, 25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 11-15).

The Bulls (13-6, 2-4 The American) were led by redshirt senior Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) with 13 kills on just one error. Junior Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) had a team high 16 kill with nine digs.

After dropping the opening set, USF came back to take a 2-1 lead on the Huskies (11-8, 3-3 The American). Payne had four kills in the second set and Walker had four in the third. There were eight ties in the fourth set and four lead changes, but UConn was able to hang on for a 25-23 win. The Bulls led 8-7 at the midway point in the fifth set before a 8-3 run by the Huskies closed out the match.  

Coach Draper on tonight's match, looking ahead to Sunday's contest with Temple and also our Dig Pink match. pic.twitter.com/LsDOmIuEiq

— USF Volleyball (@usfvolleyball) October 13, 2018

Notables

• Freshman setter Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) tallied 22 assists.
• Freshman outside hitter Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) recorded 11 kills and seven digs.
• Freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) had a match high 26 digs and three aces.  

Key Stats
   
.444 – Payne's hitting percentage on the night.
6 – Sophomore middle blocker Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.) had six blocks, and the Bulls had 18 as a team.
28 – Payne recorded two blocks and now needs just 28 to reach 400 for her career.  

Up Next
The Bulls finish the four-match homestand with a matchup against Temple Sunday at noon. The Bulls will honor those affected by cancer, as it's their Dig Pink match.   
 
About USF Volleyball
Led by redshirt senior middle blocker Clara Payne, who paced the team with 300 points and finished seventh in The American with a .290 hitting percentage, USF and seventh-year head coach Courtney Draper are excited for 2018. Senior setter Briana Stowell finished second on the team in 2017 with 243 assists and averaged 22.3 per match in the final month of the year. The Bulls are welcoming six new faces to the roster, with five talented freshmen and a skilled outside hitter coming from Marshall University.
 
Follow the volleyball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.