TAMPA, OCTOBER 14, 2018 – Down 2-0, the USF volleyball team showed serious resiliency, battling back to take the final three sets to defeat Temple Sunday in the Corral (19-25, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23, 15-9).
The Bulls (14-6, 3-4 The American) had strong efforts from
Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla) with 14 kills, redshirt senior
Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) with 12 kills and junior
Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) with 11 kills.
The Owls (4-15, 1-6 The American) took the first two sets with identical 25-19 scores. USF trailed 17-11 in the second, then mounted a small comeback and made it 22-18. Though the Bulls didn't win the set, they carried the momentum into the next three. Payne had four kills in the third set, Brown had five in the fourth and Walker tallied four kills in the fifth set.
Notables
- Senior setter Briana Stowell (Orlando) was outstanding with 43 assists and 19 digs.
- Sophomore Nikkia Benitez (Miami) came off the bench and was critical, recording 11 kills and nine digs. All 11 kills came in the second, third and fourth sets.
- Freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) had a match high 28 digs and eight assists.
Key Stats
5 – USF is now 5-3 in five-set matches this year.
9 – Brown's career high for blocks.
10 – Stowell's double-doubles this year, tying for the team lead with Walker.
25 – Payne recorded three blocks and now needs just 25 to reach 400 for her career.
.369 – Payne's and Brown's combined hitting percentage.
Up Next
The Bulls are back on the road for a matchup at Cincinnati Friday at 7 p.m. before a meeting at ECU Oct. 21.
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.
– #GoBulls –
