USF Athletics

3-0 Bulls Head to Baton Rouge for the Tiger Classic

August 30, 2018

EVENT: Tiger Classic
DATES: Friday, Aug. 31 – Saturday, Sept. 1
USF SCHEDULE: Friday – vs. Duke, 11 a.m., vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday – at LSU, 2 p.m.
LOCATION: Maravich Center, Baton Rouge, La.
WATCH: USF at LSU, Saturday, SECN+
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball
LIVE STATS
Game Notes

TAMPA, AUGUST 30, 2018 – The USF volleyball team prepares for its first road trip of 2018, as it travels to Baton Rouge, La., for the Tiger Classic Aug. 31 – Sept. 1.

The Bulls began the season 3-0 for the second time in the last three years with an undefeated weekend hosting the USF Invitational. After defeating San Jose State in four sets to open the season, the Bulls were tested to the brink, battling through five sets against Jacksonville and Stony Brook. USF was able to defend its home court and persevered in both matches to close out the tournament.

Junior outside hitter Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.), senior middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) and senior setter Briana Stowell (Orlando) earned all-tournament honors. Walker was named the tournament MVP and, along with freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas), was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday.

Nota-Bulls

• Walker led the Bulls with 43 kills during the opening weekend. She had her best match against Stony Brook on Saturday with 21 kills and 20 digs.
• Clausen tallied 60 digs in her first collegiate tournament. She also shined against the Seawolves with 31 digs, a figure that tied for the sixth most in a single match in program history.
• USF was stout at the net, totaling 28.5 total blocks (43 block assists and seven solo blocks). Sophomore middle blocker Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.), redshirt sophomore Nyemba Musemuna (Avon, Ind.) and Payne each had more than 10 blocks apiece.
• Both Brown and Musemuna had career weekends, tallying 27 kills and 12 kills, respectively.
• Stowell led all performers at the USF Invitational with 111 assists. She also added 23 digs and 13 kills from the setter position.

Get to Know the Opponents

Duke
The Blue Devils are coming off a 19-12 season in 2017 and opened the year 0-2. Duke had two tests against No. 8 BYU in Durham, dropping all but one set last weekend. Duke is led by freshman middle hitter Ade Owokoniran with 24 kills. Redshirt junior middle blocker Leah Meyer was preseason All-ACC a year ago before missing most of the year due to injury.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi
The Islanders are full of youth, with freshman middle blocker Rachel Young leading the team in kills (32) and hitting percentage (.314), sophomore setter Mackenzie Coates leading them in assists (91) and sophomore libero Jenna Krenk leading them in digs (41). Over the last three seasons, the Islanders are 70-31 with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.  

LSU
This weekend's hosts are looking to repeat 2017's success that ended in a 20-10 record, 11-7 SEC mark and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tigers defeated USF in straight sets last season in Tampa, and are again led by 6-foot-5 outside hitter, sophomore Taylor Bannister. She was an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention, the AVCA South Region Freshman of the Year and All-SEC in 2017. Senior setter Lindsay Flory had 78 assists in the opening weekend and sophomore libero Raigen Cianciulli had 36 digs.
 
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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