TAMPA, Fla., September 18, 2024 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (4-4) will head south to Fort Myers for its final preseason tournament this weekend, where the Bulls will take on hosts Florida Gulf Coast and No. 24 Dayton.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Bulls hosted the South Florida Invitational last weekend in the Corral. South Florida welcomed North Florida and NC State. After sweeping the Ospreys in straight sets on Thursday, the Bulls fell to the Wolfpack in four sets on Saturday.
 
Lia Schneider (St. Charles, Ill.) and Naiya Sawtelle (Stuart) were named to the South Florida Invitational All-Tournament Team. It was Schneider's second straight All-Tournament team selection. Schneider led the team with 34 digs over two matches, averaging 4.86 digs per set. She set a career-high of 25 digs on Saturday. Sawtelle was tied with 29 kills but finished with a .314 hitting percentage.
 
Samiha Foster (Laurel, Md.) is on a four-match serving ace streak. In the five-set win over Ohio State, Foster served two aces. Since then, she has served at least one ace. Foster currently leads the Bulls with nine aces this season.
 
WEEKEND ROUND UP
FGCU Eagles (7-2)
Date: Thursday, September 19 | 6 p.m.
Live Stats: Statistics
Watch: ESPN+
Series vs. FGCU: FGCU leads, 9-3
Scouting the opponent:

• FGCU spent last weekend at the Ole Miss Invitational, defeating Drake and Little Rock before falling to Ole Miss on Saturday.
• Shelby Kent leads the Eagles with 135 kills so far this season, averaging 3.46 kills per set.
• Defensively, Ella Chapman has been a wall at the net, blocking 40 balls. She averages. 1.11 blocks per set.

 
No. 24 Dayton Flyers (7-1)
Date: Friday, September 20 | 11 a.m. | Saturday, September 21 | 1 p.m.
Live Stats: GM 1 | GM 2
Listen: Match 1
Series vs. Dayton: Dayton leads, 1-0
Scouting the opponent:

• Dayton went 2-1 last weekend at the Western Kentucky Hyatt Place Invitational. The Flyers defeated Illinois and Western Kentucky, before falling to Marquette.
• Lexie Almodovar is the only Flyer with over 100 kills so far. She leads with 121.
• Karissa Kaminski leads on the defensive side. She has 116 digs this season, averaging 4.14 per set.

 
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.