Postseason Bound; Bulls Extend Season For the first Time Since 2002
MATCH: Opening round, NIVC: USF at Georgia Tech
DATE: Thursday, Nov. 29, 7 p.m.
LOCATION: Atlanta, Ga.
COMPLETE BRACKET
TAMPA, NOVEMBER 25, 2018 – Having its best season since 2002, the USF volleyball team will play in the postseason for the first time in 16 years, having accepted an at-large bid to compete in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
USF's return to the postseason will mark the program's 10
th appearance and the second NIVC trip (1994). The 1994 year was during a stretch in which the Bulls appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times from 1993-2002, winning no fewer than 23 matches in each of those seven seasons.
"I am very proud of the hard work that our team has put in this season," said seventh-year head coach
Courtney Draper. "This is a great group of very talented athletes and I am so thrilled that we can continue to play into the postseason together. I think that this is a big step in the right direction for our program. If you look at the last time USF volleyball played in the NIVC, it was followed up by several trips to the NCAA tournament, and that is our ultimate goal."
The Bulls (20-11, 9-9 The American) will take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m. to begin the 32-team invitational. The Yellow Jackets finished 17-14 during the regular season and were named one of the eight schools to host the first and second rounds, taking place Nov. 29-30. The Yellow Jackets own a 3-2 edge in the brief series, with the last encounter in 2015.
Draper reached her 100
th victory at the helm of the program earlier this season and her team has continued to elevate their level of play. Junior
Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) enters the postseason with a team high 360 kills and 14 double-doubles. Redshirt senior
Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) makes her first postseason appearance after tallying 274 kills and 111 blocks. Sophomore middle blocker
Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.) led The American with 139 blocks and finished third on the team with 261 kills.
"It is extremely important to me that our younger players are pushing to play into December," said Draper. "It is a mindset that will only continue to drive the trajectory of our program upward. I really appreciate the support of
Michael Kelly and Jodie Libadisos, as this would certainly not be possible without them."
Also in USF's Atlanta bracket is the College of Charleston (21-11) and St. John's (23-11), which will play Thursday at 4 p.m. USF last faced the Cougars in 2009, which marked the fourth meeting. Former Big East foes, the Bulls and Red Storm have matched up 11 times, most recently in 2012.
The third round will be Dec. 5-7, followed by the semifinals running Dec. 7-9 and the NIVC Championship match on Tuesday, Dec. 11. The single-elimination tournament returned in 2017 following a 22-year hiatus.
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 1000th career kill earlier in the year.
Follow the volleyball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
– #GoBulls –
