TAMPA, Fla., September 27, 2024 – The University of South Florida volleyball team (4-7) will kick off their American Athletic Conference slate by welcoming the Charlotte 49ers and the East Caroline Pirates to the Corral.
 
The Bulls and 49ers, originally scheduled to play on Friday night but moved due to Hurricane Helene, will go head-to-head on Saturday at 11 a.m. South Florida and ECU will close out the weekend on Sunday at 2 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
South Florida traveled to Fort Myers for its final preseason Tournament where they fell to FGCU and No. 24 Dayton. Maria Clara Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) has a five-match streak of double-digit kills. In five matches, she has 78 kills. Andrade and Caroline Dykes (Flower Mound, Texas) were named to the FGCU Homewood Suites All-Tournament Team.
 
Behind the service line, Samiha Foster (Laurel, Md.) has led the Bulls. So far, she leads with 12 service aces. Foster has recorded at least one service ace in five of the last six matches, serving two against Ohio State, North Florida, and FGCU.
 
Dykes has a total of 3,450 assists in her career. In 2023, she dished out 1,174 for her first 1,000+ assist season of her career. Dykes hit the milestone of 100 aces against UC Santa Babara. Currently, she is 40 digs away from 1,000 in her career.
 
Naiya Sawtelle (Stuart) has a career total of 1,286 kills and 92 aces. She is eight aces away from reaching another milestone.
 
Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) has blocked a total of 195 balls. She needs five more to reach the 200-block milestone.
 
WEEKEND ROUND UP
Charlotte 49ers (3-10, 0-0 AAC)
Date: Saturday, September 28 | 11 a.m.
Live Stats: Statistics
Watch: ESPN+
Series vs. Charlotte: South Florida leads, 8-2
Scouting the opponent:

• Charlotte is coming off a five-set loss to North Carolina Central last week.
• Offensively, the 49ers are led by Kristen Birmingham, who has 162 kills. She averages 3.31 kills per set.
• At the net, Lara Kretschmer has been a defensive force, averaging 1.04 blocks per set.

 
East Carolina Pirates (7-3, 0-0 AAC)
Date: Sunday, September 29 | 2 p.m.
Marketing: Camper Reunion
Live Stats: Statistics
Watch: ESPN+
Series vs. ECU: South Florida leads, 16-9
Scouting the opponent:

• East Carolina enters AAC play on a three-match losing streak after falling to South Carolina, No. 1 Pitt, and Marquette.
• Laura Uyar leads the Pirates with 124 digs this season. She is averaging 3.76 digs per set.
• Payton Evenstad has dished out 192 assists this season, while Mackenzie Jefferson has dished out 136.

 
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.