TAMPA, August 31, 2023 – After two early season tests against, now, No. 11 Georgia Tech and No. 8 Florida, the University of South Florida volleyball program will welcome Idaho State, FGCU, and Mercer for the Bulls Invitational in the Yuengling Center Friday and Saturday.
 
This is the last non-conference home match of the season.
 
USF will kick the weekend off on Friday with two matches, the first against Idaho State at 1 p.m., followed by a match against FGCU at 7 p.m. The Bulls will close out the tournament on Saturday with a matinee matchup with the Mercer Bears at 2 p.m.
 
Last week, the Bulls hosted the Road 2 Tampa Bay Invitational at Amalie Arena and the Yuengling Center. Three top 25 teams were invited: Georgia Teach, Penn State, and Florida. On Saturday in front of a record-breaking crowd, the Bulls pushed the Gators to the edge, taking them to five sets.
 
Buse Hazan set career-highs in both matches. She finished the match on Friday with seven kills and three service aces. Hazan demolished her career-high kills on Saturday, finishing with 20 kills against the Gators. She also matched her career-high service aces.
 
Maria Clara Andrade also set a new career-high against the Gators. She served up four aces, setting her new high.
 
Lia Schneider and Hazan were named to the Road 2 Tampa Bay All-Tournament Team. Schneider led the team in digs with 30.
 
WEEKEND ROUND UP
Idaho State (0-2)
Date: Friday, September 1 | 1 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statistics
Tournament Central: Bulls Invitational
Series vs. Idaho State: First meeting
Scouting the opponent:

• Idaho State opened their season with two matches against Boise State and dropped both.  
• Freshman middle, Jaydin Watts, leads Idaho State with 16 kills through two matches.
• Lily Liekweg leads the team in digs so far. The graduate student has 23 on the season.

 
FGCU (1-2)
Date: Friday, September 1 | 7 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statistics
Tournament Central: Bulls Invitational
Series vs. FGCU: FGCU leads, 8-3
Scouting the opponent:

• FGCU opened their season at home, welcoming Arizona State, Ole Miss, and St. John's.
• The Eagles have five players with 20+ kills through the first three matches. Alexandra Zakutney and Skylar English lead with 21.
• Defensively, Reese Burry leads the team with 40 digs.

 
Mercer (1-2)
Date: Saturday, September 2 | 2 p.m.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: Statistics
Tournament Central: Bulls Invitational
Series vs. Mercer: USF leads, 1-0
Scouting the opponent:

• The Bears opened their season at the Crimson Tide Invitational where they went against hosts, Alabama, Saint Louis, and Mississippi Valley State.
• Kylee Quigley and Carley Raleigh lead Mercer in service aces with four.
• Skyler Bumpers has been a force at the net with nine blocks for the season.

 
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2023. 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 52nd campaign in 2023-24. 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.