Bulls host Wichita State and Tulsa this weekend
MATCHUP: USF vs. Wichita State & Tulsa
SCHEDULE: Friday, Oct. 29 vs. WSU (7 p.m.), Sunday, Oct. 31 vs. Tulsa (1 p.m.)
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TAMPA (October 28, 2021) – The University of South Florida Bulls (6-15, 0-10 AAC) return home to The Corral after three straight road matches. South Florida will host Wichita State (13-6, 7-3 AAC) on Friday night at 7 p.m. and conclude the weekend homestand Sunday at 1 p.m. opposite Tulsa (11-8, 6-4 AAC).
It will be the Bulls first matches back inside The Corral since October 10th after playing UCF the following week at the Yuengling Center.
The homestand marks the start of the second half of conference play as the Bulls have already played every opponent once and will begin seeing teams for the second time this season.
USF enters the weekend ranked fourth in the AAC in blocks/set (2.21) and in aces/set (1.49). The Bulls' presence at the net has limited opponents to a .213 attacking percentage which ranks sixth in the league.
Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia), a unanimous 2021 Preseason All-Conference selection, leads the Bulls and ranks eighth in the AAC in kills/set (3.21). Cvitkovic has tallied 257 kills with three matches this season of 20 or more kills. She is averaging 3.9 kills/set over the last three matches. Â
True freshman Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) ranks second on the team with 157 kills followed closely by fellow rookie Amanda DeWitt (Jupiter) with 144.
Eke Denessen (Venlo, Netherlands) and Kelsey O'Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale) have split setter duties this season. O'Loughlin leads the way with 417 assists. Her 5.47 assists/set rank 10th in the league.
True freshman Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) has totaled 71 blocks this season. Puljiz and Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) have each stuffed over 55 blocks at the net.
CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) has a team-best 302 digs and ranks sixth in the AAC in digs/set (3.78). The libero ranks second all-time for digs in program history and enters the weekend with 1,524 career digs.
Scouting Wichita State
The Shockers defeated USF in straight sets at home earlier this month. That began a seven-match winning streak that WSU carries into the weekend.
Wichita State is limiting opponents to a .189 hitting percentage which ranks second in the AAC and is third in digs/set (16.05).
Brylee Kelly leads the offense with 225 kills and ranks fifth in the league in kills/set (3.52). Lily Liekweg leads the back row with 4.30 digs/set. Middle blocker Natalie Foster has 45 stuffs at the net and was named to the AAC Honor Roll last week after hitting .351 in a pair of road wins.
Scouting Tulsa
The Golden Hurricane defeated the Bulls, 3-1, in Tulsa earlier this month. They will travel to UCF Friday prior to Sunday's weekend finale in Tampa.
Tulsa leads the AAC in digs/set (18.23) led by Marta Pecalli with 4.62 digs/set.
Kayley Cassaday leads the team with 262 kills and ranks fourth in the league in kills/set (3.74). Kayla Dinkins ranks seventh in the league with a.320 attacking percentage.
Up Next
The Bulls enter the final month of the season with road matches at ECU (Nov. 5) and Cincinnati (Nov. 7).
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her second season at the helm of her alma mater in 2021-22. Named head coach on Jan. 8, 2020, Shepardson led the Bulls' program to its last conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. USF made its last postseason appearance in 2018, posting 20 wins and appearing in the NIVC. USF Volleyball has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 12 conference titles since its inception in 1972 and is entering its 50th campaign in 2021-22. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus.
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