WICHITA, Kan., November 22, 2024 – The top-seeded University of South Florida volleyball team (19-9, 14-2 AAC) defeated the No. 8-seeded UAB Blazers (11-17, 6-10 AAC) in four sets to advance to the American Athletic Conference Semifinals on Saturday night.
 
The Bulls won with scores of 25-13, 25-23, 13-25, 25-22.
 
Naiya Sawtelle led the match with 15 kills, stretching her double-digit kill streak to 14 matches. Ally Cavanaugh followed with 10 kills, adding a block assist.
 
Caroline Dykes dished out 42 assists for her 14^th 40+ assist match this season. Her season total is 1,120, while her career total is 4,151. Dykes added 10 digs for her 11^th double-double of the season.
 
Lia Schneider led the way for the Bulls with 14 digs. Maria Clara Andrade joined Schneider and Dykes with 12 digs.
 
Imani Hartfield led with a .538 hitting percentage. She had eight kills on 13 attempts. Hartfield and Andrade had three blocks. Tizi Puljiz led the Bull with four blocks.
 
South Florida coasted to an opening-set win, holding UAB to a .100 hitting percentage. The Bulls doubled the Blazer's kill total, finishing with 16.
 
The Blazers on a late run to close the Bulls' lead to one point. South Florida took the two-set lead after a 6-4 run.
 
UAB took set three, holding the Bulls to a negative hitting percentage.
 
The final set was a back-and-forth battle with 12 ties and six lead changes. The final lead change was when the Bulls went on a 5-0 run to take the 23-20 lead.
 
NOTABLES

• Sawtelle stretched her double-digit kill streak to 14 matches.
• Dykes recorded her 11^th double-double of the season.
• Puljiz led with three blocks. Hartfield and Andrade followed with three.
• Cavanaugh recorded her 12^th match with double-digit kills.

 
UP NEXT
South Florida Bulls will take on the winner of the Tulsa/Wichita State match tomorrow at 3 p.m. (ET) in the American Athletic Conference Semifinals.
 
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 to a conference championship and the program's last NCAA tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. South Florida won the AAC East Division title in 2023, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, won three matches, and advanced 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 in Tampa.
 
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