GAINESVILLE, Fla., September 7, 2024 – Less than 24 hours removed from defeating No. 10 Florida on its home court, the University of South Florida volleyball team (2-3) continued its momentous weekend with a five-set victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1). South Florida notched its first win in program history over the Buckeyes, who have reached the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons.
 
The Bulls defeated Ohio State with scores of 18-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, and 15-12. South Florida had to overcome a 1-0 and 2-1 match deficit against the Buckeyes on Saturday, just like the Bulls did on Friday night against the nationally-ranked Florida Gators. 
 
Ally Cavanaugh (Jacksonville Beach) led the team with 19 kills, her second match with 15+ kills. Naiya Sawtelle (Stuart) and Maria Clara Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) also had a double-digit performance. Sawtelle finished with 17 kills, while Andrade had 15. Caroline Dykes (Flower Mound, Texas) dished out 48 assists and had 14 digs for her second double-double of the weekend. Lia Schneider (St. Charles, Ill.) recorded her second straight 20+ digs match. She finished the match with 21 digs. Imani Hartfield (Sanford) led the Bulls with five total blocks.
 
Trailing the match, 2-1, South Florida took a 12-5 lead in the fourth set, highlighted by an 8-0 run. Ohio State battled back to within two, but the Bulls coasted to a 25-18 set win to force a fifth set for the second night in a row.
 
The Bulls trailed, 12-9, in the fifth set, before calling a timeout, and scored six straight points to complete the comeback.
 
After dropping the first set, South Florida battled back to tie the second set at 20. Sawtelle scored three of the Bulls' final five points to tie the match.
 
WORDS FROM COACH SHEPARDSON
"I can't get over the high of that comeback in the fifth set. We had players coming off the bench and playing with inspiration to the others. It's incredible! We had a very diverse offense, hard to defend, and people fighting for every ball. We played against a great team that we had to work to beat. Jalynn [Brown] stepped up yesterday, Naiya [Sawtelle] stepped up today. Good for them for having the mental strength to come off the bench and play. We had all sorts of different people coming in and out and doing great things. After the first weekend, I'm extremely proud of the growth in such a short amount of time."
 
NOTABLES

• This is the first win over Ohio State in program history.
• South Florida is now 2-0 in five-set matches.
• Dykes now has a total of 3,215 career assists.
• Three Bulls finished with double-digit kills.
• Schneider has 42 digs this weekend.
• Jazeli Vandenburgh (Murrieta, Calif.) served the final six points of the match.

 
UP NEXT
The Bulls will close out the Florida Invitational tomorrow at 1 p.m., against Southern Indiana.
 
Next weekend, South Florida welcomes North Florida and N.C. State for the home opener. The Bulls will start the South Florida Invitational on Thursday at 6 p.m. with a match against North Florida. On Saturday, South Florida will face the N.C. State Wolfpack at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.
 
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.