TAMPA, AUGUST 24, 2018 – With kills from eight different players, the USF volleyball team did what it needed to on the opening day of the USF Invitational and began 2018 with two wins in front of the home crowd.

The Bulls (2-0) began the season with an impressive four-set win against San Jose State (25-19, 17-25, 25-17, 25-14), led by 10 kills from redshirt senior middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.). Fellow senior Briana Stowell (Orlando) officially took the reigns as the team's primary setter and had 28 assists in the opening match.

After dropping the second set to the Spartans (0-2), USF took care of business in the third and dominated the fourth, winning 25-14 behind a combined 17 points from Payne, sophomore middle blocker Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.), junior outside hitter Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) and freshman outside hitter Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.).

The Bulls got started early in their second match of the USF Invitational, taking a quick 1-0 lead against Jacksonville in the nightcap. The quartet of Payne, Brown, Walker and Pliapol again led the way in the opening set, guiding the Bulls to a 25-18 win. The Dolphins (0-2) took the next two sets (25-22, 25-23), but USF fed off the crowds energy and regained control in the fourth set, winning 25-21. The Bulls were able to complete their perfect day with a fifth set win, 15-11.

Notables

• The Bulls played 13 players on the day, as head coach Courtney Draper saw many different looks in certain situations.
• USF is 2-0 for the third time in the last five years.
• Brown had 16 kills and 10 blocks in the two matches.
• Redshirt sophomore middle hitter Nyemba Musemuna (Avon, Ind.) had appeared in just 22 sets and totaled five kills in her USF career. After missing her freshman campaign due to injury, she worked her way back in 2017, but gave the Bulls another element with six kills and 10 blocks on the opening day.
• Walker led USF with 16 kills against Jacksonville and had 22 on the day.
• Payne tallied 18 kills, hitting .405 in the two matches, while totaling eight blocks.  

Key Stats
33 – The Bulls were more like trees at the net, denying the opposition 21 times in the two matches (33 block assists, five solo blocks).
58 – Stowell had 58 assists in the two matches and had her first double-double of the year in the match against the Dolphins (30 assists, 13 digs).
29 – Talented freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) impressed in her first collegiate action, combining for 29 digs and 10 assists on the day.

Quotables

Head coach Courtney Draper on starting the season 2-0:
"It's very exciting to open with two wins, but neither match was easy. We're playing an NCAA tournament team from last season here this weekend, so to get off to a good start was great to see."

Head coach Courtney Draper discussing the different contributions, playing so many girls:
"I'm most proud of the collective effort today from everyone on the team. Everybody contributed in many different ways. The whole team took turns and picked one another up. Depending on the matchups we're getting, we can go with a variety of looks."

Head coach Courtney Draper on Jac'cara Walker's impact, in her first season coming from Marshall:
"Jac'cara Walker just has a ton of game. She's maybe a little undersized, but makes some great digs and big plays, she's crafty with her attack and a really important piece to this team."

Head coach Courtney Draper speaking about Nyemba Musemuna's big day:
"Nye had some great plays in key moments today to give us momentum when we needed it. She was playing in a different position and still excelled. As someone who is still rather new to the game, she's very coachable and it's been paying off. She was applying pressure to the opposing team all day and was critical to the success we had."

Up Next
The Bulls will look to make it a 3-0 weekend at the USF Invitational, but it won't be easy. The tourney concludes at 1 p.m. against Stony Brook, the defending America East champion that also went 2-0 on Friday.
 
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. Senior defensive specialist Maria McLamb led USF with 381 digs as a junior, finishing 10^th in The American with 3.89 digs per set. The Bulls are welcoming six new faces to the roster, with five talented freshmen and a skilled outside hitter coming from Marshall University.
 
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