MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Sep. 14, 2025 – The University of South Florida volleyball team defeated the Dayton Flyers on Sunday afternoon inside Maturi Pavilion, with a 3-2 (29-27, 19-25, 16-25, 25-18, 27-25) win, earning their first victory on the road for the 2025 season.

The Bulls (3-5) opened the match with one of their most competitive sets of the season, edging Dayton 29-27 in a thrilling back-and-forth opener that featured 14 tie scores and 7 lead changes. USF battled before closing the set on an ace from Miya Thomas and decisive kills from Maria Clara Andrade, who led the Bulls with 22 kills on the afternoon.

After dropping the second and third sets, South Florida responded with a statement in the fourth. The Bulls hit .414 as a team and controlled the net with five blocks, powered by Imani Hartfield and Taelyn Bentley. While setter Raegan Richardson recorded two blocks in that set, as well as 61 assists throughout the match. The match ended on another ace; this time served up by Tatiana Johnson.

USF brought some momentum into the decisive fifth set, battling with the Flyers in a neck and neck fight that stretched all the way to a final score of 27-25. Key kills from Andrade, Arianna Beckham and Addy Brus sealed the victory, giving the Bulls their third win of the season. This was South Florida's first win over Dayton in program history.

Notables

• Andrade earned herself a double-double and led the team with 22 kills and 21 digs.
• Brus also earned a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs.
• Beckham also recorded double-digit kills with 12 kills on the afternoon.
• The Bulls served up 10 aces. Four from Andrade, two from Hartfield, two from Thomas and two from Johnson.
• The Bulls recorded 18 blocks as a team, with Bentley leading the team with seven.

Up Next
The Bulls will return to play on Friday, September 19 at 7 p.m. with a match against Omaha.
 
Tickets
Fans can purchase women's volleyball tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com. The 2025 Olympic Pass can be purchased here.
 
Follow
Be sure to follow USF women's volleyball on social media (X / Instagram / Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. 
 
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.