ATLANTA, GA., NOVEMBER 29, 2018 – The USF volleyball team had a 2-0 lead in the opening round of the NIVC, but the hosts Georgia Tech began to feed off the home crowd and came back to win in five sets Thursday night in Atlanta (25-19, 25-14, 21-25, 17-25, 9-15). 

The Bulls (20-12, 9-9 The American) looked right at home in their first postseason action since 2002. Junior Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) had six kills in the opening set and freshman Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) had four, as the team hit .394. USF was firing on all cylinders in the second set, hitting .483 to jump out to a 18-8 lead. Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) led the way with four kills in the set on just five attacks.

Former USF volleyball All-American and Hall of Famer, Georgia Tech head coach Michelle Collier would not let her team go down easy. The Yellow Jackets (18-14, 6-12 ACC) led 13-10 midway through the third before a 9-3 run opened the margin. USF was able to close the gap behind consecutive kills from Payne and a Walker ace, but Georgia Tech got on the board.

The hosts hit .368 in the fourth set and had 18 kills, leading comfortably throughout to force a fifth set. The Bulls had gone 7-3 in five set matches during the regular season and started strong with an ace from freshman CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas). Tied 5-5, Georgia Tech used a 7-2 stretch to take a 12-7 edge. The Bulls were unable to inch closer.

Notables

• Walker finished with 19 kills and 19 digs, hitting .306. It was the second time this season she had at least 19 kills and 19 digs in a match.
• Payne finished with 11 kills and three blocks, hitting .391.
• Pliapol had 13 kills and nine digs.
• Freshman setter Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) tallied 45 assists.  

Key Stats

15 – Double-doubles for Walker this season.
7 – Payne exits with 420 career blocks to finish seventh in program history.
2002 – USF's first postseason appearance since 2002.
4 – After USF made its first NIVC trip in 1994, the program went to four-straight NCAA tournaments.
20 – The wins this season are the most since 2016.

About USF Volleyball
Now in her seventh season with the Bulls, head coach Courtney Draper has her team at 20-11 heading into the program's first postseason since 2002. 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. Junior transfer Jac'cara Walker has led USF in kills all season long, finishing fourth in the league with 3.50 kills per set, as she recorded her 1000^th career kill earlier in the year.
 
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