TAMPA, Fla. (October 26, 2024) – The University of South Florida beach volleyball team kicked off the Bulls Beach Bash Invitational on a high note Saturday at McDugald Park. Competing in pair-style matches, the Bulls showcased their talent alongside teams from New College of Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida International University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Saint Leo University, and the University of Tampa. 

South Florida fielded two pairs for the event: Pair One, Alyx Zapatka and Isabella Almeida, and Pair Two, Ryann Genest and Sasha Pasloski. These were the only pairs competing for the Bulls, producing competitive performances against tough competition. 

For the Bulls, Pair One placed first in their pool on Saturday:

Alyx Zapatka and Isabella Almeida – Pool 4 (2-0)

• Vs. FGCU's Carpenter and Gluc: 21-18, 21-19
• Vs. St. Leo's Henderson and Miller: 21-17, 24-22 

Fans enjoyed an engaging experience, including a chance to meet the players for autographed posters, and a taste of Mediterranean cuisine from the Kebablicious food truck.
The Bulls invitational will continue Sunday, with additional matches scheduled from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. KC's Quesadillas will be on site for fans to partake in. 

Scores of all pools and matches can be found here

Coverage will be provided on the USF beach volleyball Instagram and Facebook accounts, @USFBeachVB. 

About USF Athletics
USF Athletics currently sponsors 19 varsity men's and women's teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, which will expand to 21 teams with the recently announced additions of women's lacrosse (2024-25) and women's beach volleyball (2025-26). While USF beach volleyball will compete in an exhibition style season, this season will not count toward sport sponsorship, with varsity status officially beginning in the 2025-26 academic year. The Bulls' athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 57th season in 2022-23. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including seven trophies in the 2021 calendar year, and own 140 conference titles claimed in 15 sports in department history, led by 20 each for men's tennis and men's soccer. USF has claimed 74 men's conference championships and 64 women's titles, led by 14 in women's tennis and 12 in volleyball. The Bulls have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for more than eight straight years and have posted a program record of 17 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0 as of the spring of 2023. USF has had over 600 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17. Follow USF Athletics on Twitter (@USFAthletics) and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Athletic program.