TAMPA, Fla., August 27, 2025 – Nine new players?

In another time, that might have been a problem for USF's volleyball program. But not this era, when the transfer portal churns and lineups feature different looks in almost every season.

Coming off a two-season run that included a combined 41-22 record, an American Conference regular-season championship, and an appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship Fab Four, Coach Jolene Shepardson said she expects her new-look Bulls to remain as top contenders.

"I think we did a great job with recruiting, bringing in some talent and really boosting our overall depth," said Shepardson, who has added seven transfers and two freshmen to a lineup that features senior Maria Clara Andrade, last season's American Conference Player of the Year. "We have quality depth. And not only are these new players talented on the court, but they are fabulous people."

"Our team is very connected, and our expectations are very high. It's a solid group that plays with a lot of skill and confidence. I think we're going to be just fine. Actually, better than fine."

Shepardson said the Bulls are playing an intentionally rigorous non-conference schedule — including Friday, Aug. 29, matchups against Purdue and Tennessee in the season-opening tournament at Knoxville, Tenn., followed by marquee meetings at the Yuengling Center against the Florida Gators (Sept. 2) and the Florida State Seminoles (Sept. 5).

USF opens American Conference play by facing Florida Atlantic on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, the Bulls host the league tournament, which carries an automatic NCAA Tournament bid for the champion, on Nov. 21-23.

"It's a tough schedule, but we have the kind of team that can handle it," Shepardson said. "I'm very optimistic that top competition will keep us sharp and put us in a position to achieve the highest goals. I like the talent level in our program right now."

There were some fortuitous connections that allowed Shepardson to fortify USF's lineup.

The Bulls added outside hitter Laila Ivey (Maryland), a high-level transfer who's a known quantity. Ivey played with a Maryland-based club program run by the mother of USF senior setter Tatiana Johnson. Libero Samiha Foster, who began at West Virginia before joining USF last season, was also a teammate. When Shepardson signed Johnson, she also pursued Ivey and Foster — and now there's a club-team reunion being staged at USF.

There's a familiar name in redshirt freshman outside hitter Samiyah Abdur-Rahim (TCU), the niece of Amir Abdur-Rahim, the late men's basketball coach at USF who produced an American Conference regular-season championship in 2023-24.

There's also sophomore outside hitter Addy Brus, last season's Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Year at Saint Louis University; graduate student setter Sarah White, who has SEC and Big Ten Conference experience after playing at Missouri and Ohio State; junior middle blocker Iyanna Garvin (Hofstra); sophomore setter Raegan Richardson from Florida Gulf Coast University; and senior outside hitter Arianna Beckham, who arrives from Mississippi State.

"I'm really excited to be here at USF," said Beckham, the daughter of a former NFL player (cornerback Tony Beckham) and the sister of two players with the University of Georgia's women's basketball program. "What really caught my attention was the sense of comfort and feel of home that I've been searching for in a program. And one thing you know about USF volleyball the last few years — they win! So I'm coming to a great situation.

"This is a team with people from different backgrounds and different cultures. But I feel like we've gotten to know each other on a deeper level and we've come together in ways that I couldn't have anticipated. I feel like we have so many great ingredients that are going to come together in a really great way."

Ivey, back together with their club-team friends Foster and Johnson, said USF already feels like home.

"I've been injured (torn patellar tendon) and trying to push through, and it was almost like I was losing my love for the game," Ivey said. "I mean, I got crazy opportunities in the Big Ten to play at places like Nebraska, Penn State, and Wisconsin. But when you're not happy, you're not happy. You can't be blinded by all these external forces. At USF, I feel like I'm going to recapture the love, have a big impact, and be in a place that's right for me."

"When I came here last season from West Virginia, I saw a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of grit and a lot of talent," Foster said. "It's a program where you get the immediate feel of, 'This is the way we do things, this is what we expect from you.' There's a lot of personalities on the court, but it's team-first and that's absolutely what I wanted and what I needed from a program."

Shepardson said she's confident that all the new faces will be great contributors toward USF's ultimate goal — a conference championship.

"They add a lot of skill and a lot of maturity," Shepardson said. "We want to continue this program's momentum, and I definitely think we have the players to do just that."

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About USF Volleyball

Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her sixth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2025. Named head coach on January 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 2024 AAC regular-season title, earning Jolene Shepardson her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the AAC East Division title, 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 won eight Player of the Year honors, most recently in Maria Clara Andrade in 2024. The Bulls have also had four Setter of the Year honors, most recently in Caroline Dykes in 2024. South Florida has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 13 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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