USF Athletics

Volleyball heads to Daytona Beach for Nonconference Finale

September 24, 2019

MATCHUP: USF vs. Bethune-Cookman
WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Daytona Beach, Fla.
LIVE STATS: LINK
GAME NOTES: LINK
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball

TAMPA, Sept. 24, 2019 – The USF women's volleyball team will take a road trip to Daytona Beach, Fla. Tuesday to take on Bethune-Cookman (3-8) in the Bulls final nonconference match-up of the season.
 
Facing the Lady Wildcats for the fifth time, the Bulls look to improve on a 4-0 all-time record vs. the Wildcats. USF (5-8) dropped two games against Indiana (RV) and defeated Stetson in the USF invitational over the weekend.
 
The Hoosiers took a tough five setter from the Bulls on Friday and then recorded a four-set victory on Saturday. USF rallied to defeat Stetson (25-19, 25-17, 25-19) on Saturday in three straight sets to close out the weekend. Leading the team was senior Jac'cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.), who earned American Athletic Conference Honor Roll recognition after recording her second double-double of the day with 11 kills and 12 digs in the match. Walker logged 56 kills, 51 digs, and 4 double-doubles on the weekend as she improved to 160 kills on the season.

Lindsey Pliapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.), leading the Bulls with 164 kills this season, posted 11 kills and 8 digs against the Hatters. Stetson was swept with help from sophomore setter Lauren LaBeck (Chicago), who notched a game-high 34 assists. LaBeck leads the Bulls with 344 assists during the first 13 games of the season, chasing her 474-assist total from the 2018 season. The in-state foe was unable to break CC Clausen's (The Woodland's, Tx.) defensive ways and the sophomore tallied 19 digs.
 
In front of the net, freshman middle blocker Aly Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) contributed defensively with 5 blocks. Barnhart registered a total of 19 blocks during the tournament and has recorded an impressive total of 54 blocks on the year. Freshman Jac St. Cin (St. Petersburg, Fla.) posted 10 kills against the Hatters, after posting a career-best 20 vs. Indiana on Friday night.  
 
Bethune-Cookman (3-8)
The Lady Wildcats feature junior outside hitter Jordan Jefferson, who leads the team with 92 kills and has topped the category since her freshman year in 2017. Jefferson has also tallied a team-high 138 digs this season. Defensively, middle blocker Faith Landreneaux has posted 33 blocks while finding success with 15 service aces to lead the team.
 
Bethune-Cookman's most recent win came against Nicholls State during the South Alabama Tournament. The 3-2 final marked the Lady Wildcat's second five-set victory of the season and included Jefferson matching a career-high of 25 digs, alongside freshman Bailey Robinson recording her first career double-double.
 
Head coach Brittany Williams is in her fifth season with BCU and is coming off a historic 2018 season with an overall record of 16-16. The record is the second-best in program history.
 
Notables
 

• Jac'cara Walker and Lauren LaBeck were selected to the USF Invitational All-Tournament Team.
• LaBeck notched a game-high 34 assists against Stetson and improved to 344 assists on the season. With 130 additional assists, she will surpass her 2018 season total.
• Walker was named to the AAC Honor Roll after ending the week with 56 kills, 51 digs, and registering 4 double-doubles.

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.