Bulls and Knights Open Conference Play with War On I-4 Battle
MATCH: USF vs. UCF
DATES: Friday, Sept. 21
LOCATION: The Corral (1,000)
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball
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TAMPA, SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 – The 10-2 USF volleyball team looks to build on its best start since 1996 with a big time War On I-4 matchup against UCF to open up The American slate, Friday at 7 p.m. in the Corral.
The Bulls went 2-1 at last weekend's USF Classic, defeating North Dakota and New Orleans in straight sets on Friday before a tough five-set defeat at the hands of Charlotte on Saturday. USF had won 12-consecutive sets until the second against the 49ers, and were riding a seven-match winning streak.
Sophomore middle blocker
Jaeden Brown (Hollywood, Fla.) 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, hitting .302. Brown had 28 kills and a team-high 11 blocks.
Senior setter
Briana Stowell (Orlando) had two doubles-doubles at the USF Classic, totaling 120 assists in the three matches. Redshirt senior
Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) was sensational against Charlotte, tallying a career-high 21 kills.
Nota-Bulls
- Head coach Courtney Draper earned her 100th win at USF with the victory against New Orleans on Friday, becoming the fifth coach in program history to do so.
- USF leads the all-time series against UCF, 50-35.
- The strong start to the year marks the fourth time USF has begun 10-2 or better. Two of the previous three instances ended with Conference USA titles in 1995 and 1996, resulting in NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) is second in The American and 23rd nationally with 248 digs this season.
- The Bulls lead The American and are 21st in the country with 17.38 digs per set. Five members of the team have 110 or more digs.
- Walker leads the team with 138 kills.
- Stowell is second in the conference with 459 assists this year. She and Walker are tied for the team lead with six double-doubles.
Get to Know the Opponent
The Knights enter the weekend having an impressive season at 9-3. UCF defeated then-No. 7 USC on Sept. 1 in four sets. The success has been predicated on the great play of freshman outside hitter McKenna Melville, who sits second in the conference and 16th nationally in both kills per set (4.52) and points per set (5.02). The Knights lead The American and are 13th nationally with 14.31 kills per set. Sisters Erin Olson and and Amber Olson have split time at setter this year with 282 and 232 assists, respectively. As a team, UCF ranks eighth in the country with 13.62 assists per set.
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 10th 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.
Follow the volleyball team on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
– #GoBulls –
