TAMPA (September 26, 2021) – The University of South Florida Bulls (6-7, 0-2 AAC) and ECU Pirates (5-6, 1-1 AAC) put on a show Sunday afternoon at The Corral. The end result was a 3-1 win by ECU, but the Bulls made the Pirates earn every point while denying a tenacious comeback effort by USF.

ECU won the match by set scores of 28-26, 25-21, 25-27, 32-30.

The epic fourth set saw the Bulls fend off match point by the Pirates nine times in the 32-30 decision to end the affair.

It was a battle from start to finish. USF also fought off set point four times in the opening set before ECU finally claimed a 1-0 match lead. The Pirates would then to command with a 2-0 lead, but the Bulls continued to battle and won the third set.

The Pirates also arrived at set point twice in the third set with their eyes set on a sweep, but the home team stood its crowd for a win in the third game.

Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) led all players in the match with 20 kills. Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) recorded 13 kills and five blocks while fellow freshman Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) floored 11 kills and led the team with eight blocks.

Kelsey O'Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale) and Eke Denessen (Venlo, Netherlands) combined for 59 assists as the South Florida offense owned a .188 hitting percentage. The Pirates (.204) out-hit the Bulls, but USF owned the kill advantage, 67-52.

CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) and Alexis Williams (St. Louis, Mo.) both recorded double digits in digs.

Notable

·        Cvitkovic floored 20 kills for the second time this season.

·        Clausen has registered 20 digs in back-to-back matches.

·        The Bulls dropped seven service aces on ECU, but were also plagued by a season-high 16 service errors in the setback.

Up Next

The Bulls will play their first road conference matches next weekend at Tulsa (Oct. 1) and Wichita State (Oct. 3).

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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