TAMPA, NOVEMBER 9, 2018 – With a 2-0 lead, the USF volleyball team held off a physical East Carolina team for yet another five-set win this season (25-20, 25-18, 19-25, 22-25, 15-11).
Freshman
Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) led the Bulls (19-8, 8-6 The American) with a career high 21 kills to go along with 14 digs. Sophomore
Nikkia Benitez (Miami) had 15 kills and freshman setter
Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) recorded 56 assists.
The Pirates (12-13, 4-10 The American) opened the match with an 8-1 lead, but the Bulls quickly turned things around. USF doubled up ECU 24-12 from that point on behind six kills on just eight swings from sophomore
Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.).
Pliapol led the Bulls with six kills in the second set before the Pirates clamped down defensively to force a fifth set. Both sides traded points with eight ties in the fifth. Tied 10-10, Benitez had a block and consecutive kills to spark a 4-0 run, giving the Bulls the cushion they needed to finish off the match.
Notables
- Brown and redshirt senior Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) combined for 23 kills, eight blocks, and a .476 hitting efficiency, each swinging better than .470.
- USF had a season-high 70 kills. The Bulls also led the match with 84 digs compared to ECU's 66.
- Four Bulls had double-digit digs, led by senior Maria McLamb (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) with 15. Senior setter Briana Stowell (Orlando) and Pliapol each had 14 and freshman CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) tallied 11.
Key Stats
19 – USF's win total this season, tying for the most in the
Courtney Draper era. The Bulls had 19 wins in 2016.
3 – Pliapol's double-double was her third of the season and second-straight.
7 – The Bulls are 7-3 in five-set matches this season.
Up Next
Senior Day is Sunday at noon, as the Bulls will honor their three seniors of Payne, Stowell and McLamb before hosting Cincinnati.
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 –
