USF Athletics

Bulls Go to Memphis and Tulane for First Conference Road Tests

September 27, 2018

MATCHES: USF at Memphis | USF at Tulane
DATES: Friday, Sept. 28, 8 p.m. | Sunday, Sept. 30, 2 p.m.
LOCATIONS: Elma Roane Fieldhouse (2,565) | Avron B. Fogelman Arena (3,600)
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball
WATCH: Friday | Sunday
LIVE STATS: Friday | Sunday

TAMPA, SEPTEMBER 27, 2018 – The 11-3 USF volleyball team heads into its first road swing in The American this year, with a match at Memphis Friday and at Tulane Sunday.

The Bulls began conference play with a showdown inside the Corral on Sept. 21 against UCF. The War On I-4 did not disappoint with a five-set battle. Junior outside hitter Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) had a season best 21 kills in the match to go along with 10 digs, hitting .325. She added nine kills in a straight sets win at UNF on Sunday and was named to the American Athletic Conference Weekly Honor Roll on Monday for a second-straight week.

Ten current Bulls have played the Tigers in the career. Senior Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) has competed in a total of six matches and has 51 kills in 26 sets. Over the last four matches against Memphis, Payne has 42 kills, hitting .322 with 24 blocks.

Nine current Bulls have faced the Green Wave in their careers, with Payne having played in five matches. She has 46 kills in 21 sets, hitting .389 with 26 blocks. Senior setter Briana Stowell (Orlando) tallied 24 assists and 18 digs in two matches against Tulane last year. Senior outside hitter Reagan Davey (Orlando) had 24 kills, averaging four per set against the Green Wave in 2017.

Nota-Bulls

• USF leads the all-time series against Memphis, 20-10, and also with Tulane, 29-7.  
• Freshman libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) is third in The American and 27^th nationally with 285 digs this season.
• The Bulls lead The American and are 24^th in the country with 17.33 digs per set. Five members of the team have 115 or more digs.  
• Walker leads the team with 167 kills.
• Stowell is second in the conference with 515 assists this year. She has a team high eight double-doubles this season. 

Get to Know the Opponents

MEMPHIS
The Tigers are led by the do-it-all sophomore right side hitter Hannah Flowers, leading the team with 184 kills, a .326 hitting percentage and 28 aces, good for 12^th nationally. Freshman setter Molly Murrihy is third in the conference with 9.32 assists per set. Senior middle blocker Kelsey Walter is second in the conference with 1.23 blocks per set.

TULANE
The Green Wave are having a great season as well at 12-5 entering the weekend. Tulane leads The American in blocks per set (2.46), opponents hitting percentage (0.148), team digs (981) and total blocks (152.5). Sophomore outside hitter Lexie Douglas leads the team with 156 kills, hitting .279. Sophomore middle hitter Markenzie Benoit is tops in the league with 1.31 blocks per set. Junior defensive specialist Kaylie McHugh also leads the conference with 28 aces. 

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.
 
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