USF wins the first of a four-match home stand; Bulls host Indian and Stetson this weekend

TAMPA, Sept. 17, 2019 – The USF women's volleyball team returned to The Corral on Tuesday and came from behind to win in five sets over the Jacksonville Dolphins (2-8) behind many strong performances from underclassmen.
 
The Bulls improved to 4-6 on the year and claimed their second straight victory at home, winning the 46th meeting between the programs, 14-25, 25-13, 23-25, 25-14, 15-6.

The Bulls were led by senior Jac'cara Walker's 16 kills. Sophomore Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach) logged 11 kills and a team-high 21 digs, while freshman Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) led the team with seven blocks. Sophomore Lauren LaBeck (Elk Grove, Ill.) added 42 assists and sophomore Nicole Legg (San Antonio, Texas) hit a team-best .857 with 12 kills.

"I'm so proud of our young girls," USF head coach Courtney Draper said. "They were great tonight!"

Jacksonville jumped to an early lead in the first set and road the momentum to victory, hitting .750 in the first frame behind four kills each from Mallory Mattingly and Bailey Foy.

The early blocking of 6-4 Barnhart and 6-2 Peyton Thompson (Spartanburg, S.C.) got the Bulls going in the second set as they jumped to a 6-1 lead. Three straight kills from Pliapol, the first following a diving save from Walker (Gainesville), opened up a 13-5 lead and the Bulls rolled home from there. Pliapol logged four kills in the set as the Bulls hit .600 and held Jacksonville to a -.032 hitting percentage with nine errors and eight blocks from USF.

Again in the third set, the blocking of Barnhart, this time combined with Pliapol, opened a lead for USF in a tight match. The Bulls lead 10-7 after back-to-back of blocks from the pair. With the match tied at 14, both teams endured a 20-minute delay to correct the scoreboard. Jacksonville came out swinging after the break, and seven kills from Mattingly led the Dolphins to a 25-23 victory despite Walker posting six kills.

Behind some early kills from freshman Jac St. Cin (St. Petersburg), who totaled 10 in the match, USF jumped out to an 12-5 lead in the fourth set. A block and a kill from Barnhart helped open up a 19-7 lead and the Bulls claimed a 25-14 victory as Pliapol added the set ending dagger to nine digs in the frame. LaBeck posted 14 assists in the set.

A big block from Barnhart gave the Bulls a 7-2 lead in the fifth set and forced a Jacksonville timeout. The Dolphins never recovered and the Bulls rolled to a 15-6 final set victory, with Pliapol delivering her third kill in the frame for the final blow.
 
The Bulls return to The Corral this weekend for the USF Invitational, which will also feature Indiana and Stetson. USF takes on Indiana Friday at 7 p.m. and will face the Hoosiers again on Saturday at 2 p.m. before closing out the weekend by taking on the Hatters at 7 p.m. Saturday night. Tickets ($10 for adults, $7 for youth) can be purchased at USFBullstix.com or by calling 1-800-GoBulls.

 Notables

• USF played its third five set match of the year and won its second.
• The Bulls' season leader in kills, Lindsey Pilapol recorded 11 on the night and now has 108 on the season to go with a team-best 85 digs.
• Ally Barnhart leads the Bulls with 31 total blocks on the year
• Nicole Legg had 5 kills entering the night and recorded 12 vs. Jacksonville to finish second on the team.

About USF Women's Volleyball
Be sure to follow USF women's volleyball on social media (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. 
 
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 1000^thcareer 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.