USF Athletics

Volleyball Returns to The Corral to Face Tulane

March 18, 2021

MATCHUP: USF vs. Tulane
WHEN: Friday, March 19 at 11 a.m.
             Saturday, March 20 at 11 a.m.
LIVE STATS:
WATCH: Matches 1 & 2 ESPN+ : 
LISTEN: Friday: None; Saturday: BullsUnlimited (iHeartRadio)
TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball
GAME NOTES
 
TAMPA, MARCH 19, 2021 – The USF women's volleyball team returns to action after a weekend off to face Tulane in a pair on scheduled non-conference match-ups in The Corral.
 
It will mark just the Bulls third and fourth matches in a month. As in past matches this season, attendance is by Team Pass List only.
 
Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+ and Saturday's match can also be heard on the Bulls Unlimited channel on iHeart Radio.
 
OPPONENT
Tulane is coming off a sweep of two matches vs. Wichita State in New Orleans last weekend. The Green Wave bring a 7-8 overall record and 5-3 mark in American Athletic Conference action into the matches at The Corral.
 
Leading the Green Wave's offense is senior Lexie Douglas, who has recorded 214 kills to average 3.75 per set, ranking fourth in the conference in kills per set and fourth in points per set (4.26). Douglas has notched double-digit kills in 13 of Tulane's 15 matches this season, totaling seven double-doubles in her final season Uptown.
 
A force for the Green Wave at the net in 2021 is junior middle hitter Kayla Dinkins. Dinkins has totaled 71.0 blocks this season, averaging 1.20 to rank third in the conference.
 
THE BULLS
The Bulls fell in a two five-set matches to defending AAC Champion Cincinnati in their last outing, an improvement over being swept by the Bearcats last season.
 
Freshman Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) has established herself as the Bulls' top offensive weapon. She enters the weekend ranked third in the AAC in kills (3.84 per set) and leads the conference in service aces (0.40 per set). She has four double-doubles on the year (all kills & digs).
 
Setter Masha Idjilov (Chisinau, Moldova) has posted five double-doubles on the season and ranks sixth in the conference posting 8.91 assists per set. Freshman Makayla Washington (Tallahassee) posted a career-best 20 kills on a .417 hitting percentage in her last outing to lead the Bulls and ranks second on the team in kills (115) and blocks (33).
 
THE SERIES
USF leads the all-time series, 29-8, and is 6-4 vs. the Green Wave since both programs joined The American. The Green Wave won the last meeting, 3-0, in Tampa in 2019
 
ESPN+
The American Athletic Conference and ESPN began a new 12-year television rights agreement starting in 2020-21. USF will stream numerous home athletic events to ESPN+ this spring. Subscriptions for the ESPN+ app are $5.99 monthly or $59.99 annually and can be packaged with Hulu and Disney+ streaming services. A step-by-step guide for subscribing to ESPN+ is located here.
 
About USF Women's Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson begins her first season at the helm of her alma mater in 2020-21. 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 49^th campaign in 2020-21. 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.