Marta Cvitkovic was named Tournament MVP after the Bulls went 3-0.
STONY BROOK, N.Y. (September 3, 2022) – The University of South Florida Bulls (4-2) picked up a pair of impressive wins on Saturday to complete a perfect 3-0 weekend that saw Marta Cvitkovic (Rijeka, Croatia) named Tournament MVP at the Stony Brook Invitational.
South Florida came from behind to knock off Maryland (4-2) on Saturday morning in five sets before downing host Stony Brook (3-2) in four sets in the evening.
Cvitkovic registered 34 kills over three weekend matches, including a season-high 17 against Maryland. CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) and Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) were each named to the All-Tournament Team.
Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas) combined for 37 digs on the weekend to raise her career total to 1,732. The senior libero is now only 16 digs away from setting a new program record.
Match 1 vs. Maryland
After being down 2-1 in the match, the Bulls rallied back for a 25-22, 12-25, 20-25, 25-15, 15-4 victory against a Terrapin team that did not lose a single non-conference match all last year.
Cvitkovic nearly recorded a double-double with 17 kills and nine digs. She also paced the team with four service aces, followed by Alexis Williams (St. Louis Missouri) and Puljiz with two aces apiece.
Freshman Tatiana Johnson (Frederick, Md.) posted a new career high of 23 assists, followed by Kelsey O'Loughlin (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) with 20 assists.
Clausen led the back row with 13 total digs in the match.
Match 2 vs. Stony Brook
USF won their second match of the day, and third straight overall, defeating Stony Brook by set scores of 25-19, 25-23, 20-25, 25-19.
Puljiz paced the team with 11 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, followed by Cvitkovic with nine kills and Maria Clara Andrade (São Paulo, Brazil) with eight.
Amiree Hendricks-Walker (Los Angeles, Calif.) tied her career-high of eight block assists. Andrade, Puljiz and Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) posted three total blocks each.
Johnson and O'Loughlin combined for 34 assists as the USF offense floored 49 total kills.
Clausen logged three service aces, one off her career high, and led the defense with 18 digs.
Up Next:
USF hits the road again to San Antonio, Texas for the UTSA Invitational next weekend. The Bulls play UT Arlington (11 a.m.) and UTSA (8 p.m.) on Friday, September 9, and McNeese State University (12 p.m.) on Saturday, September 10. Follow along on social media @USFVolleyball.
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her third season at the helm of her alma mater in 2022. 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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