TAMPA, FLA., October 16, 2024 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (11-7, 7-0 AAC) swept the AAC Preseason favorites, the Rice Owls (11-5, 6-1 AAC), on Wednesday night to remain the last undefeated team in the American.   
 
The Bulls won with scores of 25-21, 25-14, 25-23.
 
With the win, the Bulls now hold sole possession of the top spot in the American Athletic Conference. The 7-0 start is the Bulls' best conference start since 2002 when they started Conference USA 12-0. The 2002 Bulls earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Maria Clara Andrade led the way for the Bulls with 21 kills, her 12^th straight double-digit performance. She is five kills away from reaching 1,000 in her career. Naiya Sawtelle followed with 19 kills for her fifth straight double-digit performance. She led the Bulls with a 0.531 hitting percentage.
 
Three Bulls posted double-digit dig performances. Lia Schneider led the way with 20 digs. It's her fifth 20+ dig performance of the season and her second in just as many matches. Caroline Dykes and Samiha Foster followed with 10.
 
Dykes led the Bulls with three service aces, while Foster followed with two. Both served their aces consecutively. Dykes finished the match with a double-double.
 
At the net, Imani Hartfield led the Bulls' blocking with four block assists. Tizi Puljiz and Ally Cavanaugh followed with three.
 
South Florida forced an early Rice timeout after a block and three straight aces from Dykes to take a 4-0 lead. The Owls battled back, and the two teams traded points throughout the set. Rice held the 21-19 lead, but the Bulls closed the set with a 6-0 run.
 
The Bulls held complete control in the second set, taking a 20-9 lead. South Florida held Rice to 14 points in the second set, their second-lowest points scored in a set all season. The Owls were held to 12 points against Creighton and Northern Iowa.
 
The final set started off as a battle, with both teams tying at 1-1, 5-5, 6-6, and 8-8. South Florida grew its lead to 22-16, the largest of the set. Rice went on a 7-1 run to tie the set at 23, almost forcing a fourth set. Back-to-back blocks from the Bulls ended the match and extended the Bulls' win streak to seven matches.
 
NOTABLES

• South Florida improves to 7-0 in AAC action and is the last undefeated team in the AAC.
• Andrade stretches her double-digit kill streak to 12 matches. She is five kills away from reaching 1,000 in her career.
• Sawtelle needs one ace to reach the 100 mark in her career.
• Andrade and Sawtelle had a combined 40 kills and six errors.
• The Bulls held the Owls to a 0.184 hitting percentage while hitting a 0.316 themselves.
• Three Bulls had 10+ digs. Schneider led with 20.
• Dykes dished out 35 assists.

 
UP NEXT
South Florida will head south for an in-state battle with the Florida Atlantic Owls on Sunday. The first serve is set for 1 p.m.
 
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.