TAMPA, Fla., October 10, 2024 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (8-7, 4-0 AAC) will head out west for a pair of conference road tests at Wichita State (8-8, 3-1 AAC) and Tulsa (11-5, 3-1 AAC) this Friday and Sunday.
 
The Bulls and Shockers will face off on Friday at 8 p.m. South Florida will head to Tulsa for a match with the Golden Hurricane on Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
South Florida has started conference play with a 4-0 record, with wins over Charlotte, East Caroline, Temple, and Memphis. This is the best start since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013.
 
The last time the Bulls started 4-0 in conference play was back in 2002. South Florida started Conference USA play 12-0. The Bulls won the conference tournament that season and earned the bid to the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Jolene Shepardson was a senior on that historic squad.
 
Naiya Sawtelle was named the AAC Offensive Player of the Week after leading South Florida with 5.29 points per set and five service aces last week. Her five service aces bring her career total to 99, one away from 100.
 
Caroline Dykes earned her third Setter of the Week honor and second straight with 80 assists and four service aces. Dykes is ranked 21st in assists per set,  averaging 10.54 this season. In her career, her 3,600 ranks 22nd among active DI setters. In the conference, Caroline is second in total assists and assists per set.
 
Maria Clara Andrade is currently on a nine-match double-digit kill streak. Since the match against North Florida on September 12, Andrade has recorded 10+ kills in every match.
 
WEEKEND ROUND UP
Wichita State Shockers (8-8, 3-1)
Date: Friday, October 11 | 8 p.m.
Live Stats: Statistics
Watch: ESPN+
Series vs. Wichita State: Wichita State leads, 9-0
Scouting the opponent:

• The Shockers are coming off a five-set thrilling loss to Rice on Sunday.
• Offensively, Morgan Stout is leading Wichita State with 162 kills, an average of 5.23 kills per set.
• At the net, Sarah Barham has been a hitter's kryptonite, averaging 1.06 blocks per set.

 
Tulsa Golden Hurricane (11-5, 3-1)
Date: Sunday, October 13 | 2 p.m.
Live Stats: Statistics
Watch: ESPN+
Series vs. Tulsa: Tulsa leads, 9-4
Scouting the opponent:

• Tulsa is coming off a 3-0 sweep over the Tulane Green Wave on Sunday.
• Marta Pecalli leads the Golden Hurricane defensively, averaging 4.83 digs per set. She has a season total of 280.
• Tatum Tornatta is averaging 3.20 kills per set. She leads Tulsa with 160 kills this season.

 
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2024. 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. Earning the AAC East Division title in 2023, South Florida made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, winning three games and advancing to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history. South Florida Volleyball has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 12 conference titles since its inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located 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.