HOUSTON, TEXAS, NOVEMBER 16, 2018 – With late runs and tremendous defense, the USF volleyball team took care of Houston in straight sets Friday night (25-21, 25-19, 25-17) to secure the programs 20^th 20-win season and first since 2002.  

The Bulls (20-9, 9-7 The American) trailed 5-0 to open the match, but responded with a 6-0 run. Tied 11-11 with the Cougars (16-15, 3-13 The American), USF used a 6-2 run to create some separation. Junior Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) and freshman Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) each had five kills in the set, leading to a 25-21 win.

In the second, both sides were again tied midway through. Knotted at 17-17, USF surged late with a 8-2 run to close out the set. Walker dominated with nine kills on 18 attacks.
Reminiscent of the first two sets, USF turned a 11-11 stalemate into a 18-12 edge in the third and led by as much as nine before completing its seventh straight-sets victory of the season.

Key Stats

20 – USF's most wins since 2002, marking the 20^th 20-win season in program history. The program record for wins is 34 set in 1986.
.087 – The Bulls held the Cougars to a .087 hitting percentage.
21 – Blocks for the Bulls.
5 – Three Bulls had at least five blocks, as Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.) had a match high six, followed by five apiece from Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) and Nyemba Musemuna (Avon, Ind.)

Notables

• Walker led the match with 15 kills and hit .382.
• Pliapol finished with 12 kills.
• Freshman setter Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) had 31 assists and 10 digs.
• Classmate CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) recorded 18 digs.  

Up Next
USF finishes the weekend in Texas at SMU Sunday at 2 p.m.  

About USF Volleyball
Now in her seventh season with the Bulls, head coach Courtney Draper has her team at 19-9, just one win shy what would be the most in her time at USF. Redshirt senior middle blocker Clara Payne became the seventh player in program history to reach 400 career blocks earlier this season. Sophomore Jaeden Brown is second in The American in total blocks and leads USF with a hitting percentage above .300. Junior transfer Jac'cara Walker has led USF in kills all season long and recorded her 1000^th career kill earlier in the year.
 
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