DENTON, TX., October 25, 2024 – Naiya Sawtelle recorded her 100^th career ace in the University of South Florida volleyball team's (12-8, 8-1 AAC) five-set win over the North Texas Mean Green (8-12, 5-4 AAC) on Friday night. The Bulls remain in first place in the American Athletic Conference.
 
The Bulls won with scores of 25-23, 34-32, 20-25, 14-25, and 15-10.
 
Maria Clara Andrade recorded her fourth 20+ kill performance in the last six matches with 25 kills tonight. She also had 12 digs for her fifth double-double of the season. Naiya Sawtelle registered 17 kills for her seventh straight double-digit kills performance. Imani Hartfield rounded out the double-digit kills with 11.
 
Caroline Dykes dished 54 assists and registered ten kills. It's her eighth double-double of the season and the 49^th of her career.
 
Andrade led the Bulls with five total blocks. She had three solo blocks and two block assists. Ally Cavanaugh finished with five block assists.
 
Lia Schneider finished the match with 23 digs. Samiha Foster led the match with three service aces. Seven Bulls recorded at least one ace.
 
South Florida jumped out to the 7-3 lead early in the opening set. North Texas battled back to tie the set at 10. Sawtelle started a 3-0 run for the Bulls to grow their lead to 20-16. The Mean Green tied the set again at 22, but the Bulls closed out the set on a 3-1 run.
 
The Bulls continued their run in the second set, scoring the first five points to force an early Mean Green timeout. South Florida grew its lead to nine points before North Texas pulled with three, 23-20. Both teams traded points back and forth, the score climbing into the low 30s. South Florida kept their momentum and took the set, 34-32, the longest set for both teams this season.
 
The third set belonged to the Mean Green. The Bulls battled throughout, but after the Mena Green took the lead at 6-7, they held it until the end to cut South Florida's match lead to 2-1.
 
North Texas forced a fifth set after holding South Florida to a .081 hitting percentage in the fourth set.
 
With North Texas taking the early 5-3 lead in the final set, South Florida went on a 6-2 run to take the 9-7 lead. The Bulls showed no signs of slowing down and took the final set 15-10.  
 
NOTABLES

• Sawtelle reached the 100 aces milestone.
• Andrade stretched her double-digit kill streak to 14 matches, Sawtelle to seven, and Schneider stretched her double-digit dig streak to six matches.
• Andrade recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 25 kills and 12 digs.
• She led with three solo blocks.
• Dykes recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 54 assists and ten digs.
• Seven Bulls recorded an ace. Foster led with three.
• The Bulls improve to 4-0 in five-set matches.

 
UP NEXT
South Florida heads to San Antonio for a Sunday match against the UTSA Roadrunners. The first serve is set for 2 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.