FORT MYERS, Fla. (August 28, 2021) – The University of South Florida Bulls (1-2) played a pair of matches on the final day of the Florida Gulf Coast University Invitational, and tallied their first win of the season on Saturday morning over UMBC (0-3).

After outlasting UMBC for a five set victory early in the day, the Bulls return to the court to face the host FGCU Eagles (3-0) and fell in the nightcap to the defending ASUN champions in three sets.

Match 1 vs. UMBC (28-26, 15-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-4)

USF came from behind in the opening set to spark what proved to be a gutsy team effort. The Bulls trailed 17-11 before true freshman Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) took to the air for back-to-back kills.

UMBC continued to lead, 20-16, until USF went on a went on a five-point run to take a 21-20 lead. Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) recorded a pair of kills and Alexis Williams (St. Louis, Mo.) capped the scoring run with a service ace. Cvitkovic floored seven kills in the first game.

Facing set point at 26-24, the Bulls refused to quit and scored three straight points to win the game. Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) had one of her three blocks in the set to seal the victory.

UMBC pulled away comfortably midway through set two before the teams traded close affairs in sets three and four.

Set five belonged to the Bulls. USF began the decisive opened a 4-0 lead in the final game, and its lead swelled soon swelled to 11-1. Cvitkovic and Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) each recorded a pair of kills during the seven-point run and Madison Bragan (Tampa) tallied a service ace.

Puljiz secured the win with her 13th kill of the match. Cvitkovic led the way with 20 kills.

Match 2 vs. FGCU (8-25, 12-25, 22-25).

The Bulls were plagued by 17 attacking errors over the first two sets as FGCU cruised to a 2-0 match lead.

USF finally found its offensive rhythm in set three, and out-hit the Eagles, .281-.207, despite the setback.

The Bulls raced out to a 7-2 lead looking to extend the match. Midway through the set, Barnhart dropped a service ace on the Eagles to extend the USF lead to 13-8.

The Bulls continued to lead, 20-18, before the home team went on a three-point run to take its first lead since the opening point. Cvitkovic rose to the occasion twice, tying the set at 21-all and 22-all before FGCU closed out the sweep with another three-point run.

Notable

• Cvitkovic registered 27 kills on the day.
• Hendricks-Walker downed a season-best 15 kills against UMBC.
• Kelsey O'Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale) dished out 52 assists against UMBC.
• Barnhart floored 13 kills and recorded seven blocks against UMBC.
• CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) tallied 44 digs on the day, moving into fifth place all-time in program history (1,279).

Up Next

The Bulls open their home slate next week against the University of Miami on Friday, September 3. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. at The Corral 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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