MEMPHIS, Tenn., SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 – The USF Volleyball team played a complete match in its first American Athletic Conference road match of the year, defeating Memphis in straight sets Friday night (25-20, 25-11, 25-22).

Eight Bulls (12-3, 1-1 The American) tallied kills, led by senior Clara Payne (Osteen, Fla.) with 11 on a .688 hitting percentage. Sophomore Nikkia Benitez (Miami) added 10. The setter combo of senior Briana Stowell (Orlando) and freshman Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) did a great job of facilitating, tallying 13 and 16 assists, respectively.

Benitez led the Bulls with four opening set kills, as an early 5-0 run created separation with the Tigers (7-8, 0-3 The American). It was the Payne and Benitez Show in the second set, as the duo accounted for 10 of USF's kills, leading to a dominant 25-11 decision. The third was tight the whole way through. With Memphis leading 21-20, a 5-1 run and a Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) ace completed the win.

Quotables
Head coach Courtney Draper on team's dominance:
"I'm so proud of this team, they were so focused tonight. We were great offensively, but we served very well and limited the mental errors, so it was a total team effort."

Head coach Courtney Draper discussing the offensive efficiency:
"Clara, Nikkia and Jac'cara were all very efficient, but both Lauren and Briana did a great job of running the offense all night."

Notables

• USF had more kills, digs, aces, assists and blocks.
• Walker hit .429 with seven kills.

Key Stats
   
12 – USF already matches its win total from last season.
.329 – The Bulls hit .329, while Memphis hit .157.

Up Next
The Bulls have a quick turnaround with a match at Tulane Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
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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