TAMPA (October 8, 2021) – Facing off against one of the top teams in the American Athletic Conference, the University of South Florida Bulls (6-10, 0-5 AAC) put up a great fight at home on Friday night before succumbing to the Tulane Green Wave (11-6, 10-5 AAC) in five sets. The grueling battle finished in just under two and a half hours.

Tulane outlasted South Florida by set scores of 25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 15-12.

On "Dig Pink" night at The Corral, junior libero CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) led all players with 18 digs and claimed sole possession of second place all-time for career digs in program history.

Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) floored a career-high 14 kills and Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) led the Bulls with 15.

Both teams started hot offensively in the opening set, but it was Tulane who had a .455-.346 hitting advantage, despite only one attacking error by the Bulls, as the Green Wave claimed the game and an early match lead.

USF maintained the hot hand in set two with a .308 clip while the defense also stepped up with 18 digs and four blocks to slow down the Tulane attack.

A kill by Cvitkovic knotted the score at 7-7 in set two and the Green Wave followed with a service error. The Bulls never trailed again in the game. USF stretched its lead to 17-11 on a kill by Amanda DeWitt (Jupiter) and Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) floored a kill to reach the 20-point mark. Tulane put up a fight late, but Puljiz downed the game-winner to even the match at one set apiece.

The Green Wave flipped the script in set three and were finally able to cool off the Bulls' offensive surge. Tulane recorded its first two blocks of the night in the game and limited USF to a .206 attacking percentage in the set to take a 2-1 match lead.

USF roared back in the fourth set with an efficient attack and more stellar defense with 17 digs and three blocks at the net. The Bulls used an 8-1 run to pull in front by a count of 19-8 and never looked back. Cvitkovic and Puljiz combined for 10 kills in the set to force a decisive fifth game.

An early three-point run capped on a kill by DeWitt gave USF a 5-3 edge in the fifth set. The sides traded points and were tied at 7-7 and 9-9 before Tulane scored three straight points for a 12-10 lead. The Bulls continued to battle and came to within one point at 13-12, but the Green Wave held on for the win.

Notable

• Cvitkovic (15 kills/10 digs) and Puljiz (14 kills/10 digs) each recorded a double-double in the match for the third time apiece this season.
• Clausen now has 1,465 career digs and is now 283 away from becoming the program's all-time leader.
• Kelsey O'Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale) tallied 42 assists and 17 digs.
• South Florida's 68 digs as a team were the third most this season.
• The Bulls reached double digits in blocks (10) for the seventh time this year.
• Barnhart and Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) each recorded five blocks.
• USF's .232 attacking percentage was the team's best since September 18 (.340).

Up Next

The Bulls wrap up the weekend on Sunday, October 10 by hosting Houston at 1 p.m. in Tampa.

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.
 
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. 

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