TAMPA, SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 – The USF volleyball team battled back after dropping sets two and three, nearly completing the comeback, but could not best Charlotte in five sets to close out the USF Classic (25-12, 17-25, 17-25, 25-21, 12-15).  

The Bulls (10-2) had a stellar performance from redshirt senior middle blocker Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.), who had 21 kills and hit .439. Sophomore middle blocker Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.) had 11 kills, hitting .450. Senior setter Briana Stowell (Orlando) had a match high 48 assists and added 15 digs.

It was all Bulls in the opening set, as they led 17-3 at one point and had tremendous balance with seven different players recording kills. The 49ers (9-6) flipped the script in the next two sets, winning each 25-17. Brown would not let the weekend end in four sets, as she had five kills and three blocks, closing the fourth with a solo stuff to give USF a 25-21 win. The Bulls were 4-0 on the year when matches went the distance, but Payne's four kills in the fifth set were not enough, as Charlotte won 15-12.

Coach talks about this weekend at the USF Classic and going forward, as conference season begins Friday against UCF right here in the Corral. pic.twitter.com/vUePYIDvR3

— USF Volleyball (@usfvolleyball) September 15, 2018

 

Notables

• Brown and junior outside hitter Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) were named to the USF Classic All-Tournament team.
• Walker led the Bulls with 40 kills in the three matches, hitting .302. She had 31 digs and two double-doubles.
• Brown had 26 kills and a team high 11 blocks.
• Freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) finished the tournament with 54 digs, averaging 4.91 per set.
• Stowell had 120 assists and averaged 10.9 per set over the weekend.

Key Stats
21 – Payne's new career high for kills.  
12 – Prior to the second set, the Bulls had won 12 straight sets.  
4 – Four Bulls were in double-figure kills. Payne led the way with 21, followed by Walker's 12, Brown's 11 and freshman Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) added 10.  
7 – Stowell had her seventh double-double of the year with the 48 assists and 15 digs. She also had 10 more kills this weekend and hit .320.

Up Next
The American slate gets under way Friday night with the first installment of this year's War on I-4. USF and UCF meet inside the Corral at 7 p.m. The match can be watched live on BullsVision.  

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.