GAINESVILLE, Fla. (Sept. 14, 2019) – The USF volleyball team closed out its play in the Gator Invitational, at the University of Florida, with a 3-0 straight-set loss to James Madison Saturday afternoon. The Bulls hung tough with the Dukes, however fell, 25-16, 25-20, 25-20.
 
USF (3-6), who led in all three sets during the afternoon, had the opportunity to take each of the final two sets despite being outhit by James Madison (5-4) .333 to .130 in the match.
 
Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) fell just shy of a double-double with 11 kills and nine digs on the day in the loss. Lauren LaBeck (Chicago, Ill.) had 16 assists and CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) had 14 digs for the Bulls.  
 
Notables
- Madison Bragan (Tampa, Fla.) had eight assists.
- Nicole Legg (Union, Ky.) had six kills.
- Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) had eight kills and seven digs.
 
Key Stats
.333 – James Madison held a .333 to .130 hitting percentage advantage against the Bulls, including hitting .500 in the first set.
 
Quotable
"It was a tough weekend overall, but playing this top competition is only going to make us better. I asked the girls to stay positive and we will be reviewing film on things we need to continue to get better at, but also things that we did well. As a team we are serving really tough, but need to be a little more consistent. We have a lot of offensive weapons, and when they are all playing well, I think we will be a hard team to beat, but we must bring a high level of intensity and focus each and every game." – USF head coach Courtney Draper on Saturday's loss.
 
Up Next
The Bulls will return home to The Corral to face in-state foe Jacksonville on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. The match against the Dolphins will mark the first of four-straight that USF will play at home. The Green and Gold will host the USF Invitational, Sept. 20-21, where they will face Indiana in back-to-back matches on the 20^th and 21^st at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively, and Stetson in the final match of the two-day event at 7 p.m.
 
To purchase tickets for USF volleyball, or to purchase an Olympic Gold Pass which provides entry to all men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball home contests in 2019, visit USFBullsTix.com or call 1-800-GO-BULLS.
 
– #GoBulls –
 
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Courtney Draper led her team to 20 wins in 2018, the most in her time at USF and the most for the program since 2002. The Bulls appeared in the NIVC, the program's first postseason trip since 2002. Senior outside hitter Jac'cara Walker led USF with 394 kills and recorded her 1000th career kill during the 2018 year, on her way to earning first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. USF returns four starters, including its libero, while welcoming 9 newcomers to the fray in 2019 in the form of two transfers and seven freshmen. 

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