Friday, October 2
Tampa, Fla.
6 p.m.
University of South Florida
3-10,2-1American
3
vs
0
Rice
7-8,1-2American
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 17 | 15 | 23 | 0 |
| South Fla. | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Photo by: Stephen Galvin / University of South Florida Athletics
South Florida Volleyball Sweeps Rice in Conference Home Opener
October 02, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
The Bulls swept the American Conference preseason favorite Owls
TAMPA, Fla. (October 2, 2026) – The University of South Florida hosted Rice on Friday for the American Conference home opener. Paula Tomasa recorded a match-high 13 kills as the Bulls (3-10, 2-1 American) swept the preseason favorite Owls (7-8, 1-2 American).
Tomasa posted her ninth game of the season with double-digit kills, following a 13-kill performance. She added two assists and two blocks. Addy Brus posted 10 kills, along with one block and one assist. Ryelle Rondo (16), Miya Thomas (12), and Laila Ivey (11) posted a perfect 1.000 percentage on service receptions. Thomas recorded a match-high 12 digs. Nina Jioshvili-Ravva dished out a match-high 30 assists and added three blocks. Amelia Wass de Czege recorded a match-high five blocks, including a career-high three solo blocks. Iyanna Garvin finished with four blocks.
The Bulls posted a season-best .380 hitting percentage against the conference's third-best blocking team. South Florida outblocked Rice 10-4.
The first set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to pull away. After falling behind 12-10, the Bulls scored four unanswered points to take a 14-12 lead. After a Rice point, South Florida went on another 4-0 run, extending its lead to 18-13. The Bulls won the opening stanza 25-17. The first set featured nine ties and four lead changes.
After Rice started the second set 2-1, South Florida went on a 5-0 run to take a 6-2 lead. The Bulls extended their lead to seven, 17-10, midway through the set. South Florida won the second set 25-15. The set featured only two ties and one lead change. Tomasa led the attack with six kills. Jioshvili-Ravva, Garvin, and Wass de Czege each recorded two blocks.
The final set was the closest of the match. After a few early ties, the Bulls took a 12-7 lead and never surrendered it. The third set had four ties, all before the 5-4 mark, in favor of South Florida. Tomasa, Ivey, and Brus each had four kills in the set. Wass de Czege led the way with two blocks. The Bulls won the third set 25-23 to secure the sweep.
Note-A-Bulls
• Tomasa posted her ninth game of the season with double-digit kills, following a 13-kill performance.
• Addy Brus recorded back-to-back matches with double-digit kills, including 10 kills on Friday.
• Miya Thomas recorded a match-high 12 digs.
• Ryelle Rondo (16), Miya Thomas (12), and Laila Ivey (11) posted a perfect 1.000 percentage on service receptions.
• Nina Jioshvili-Ravva dished out a match-high 30 assists.
• Amelia Wass de Czege recorded a match-high five blocks, including a career-high three solo blocks.
• The Bulls posted a season-best .380 hitting percentage against the conference's third-best blocking team.
Up Next
South Florida returns to The Corral on Sunday, October 4, to face Temple. First serve is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
Follow South Florida Volleyball
For the latest updates from South Florida Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow the Bulls on X / Instagram / Facebook
Get your tickets today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
About South Florida Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater in 2026. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, as a player she helped lead the Bulls to two conference championships and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. As head coach, she led the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since she was a player in 2002 and guided USF to the 2024 AAC regular-season championship, earning her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the American Conference East Division, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, and advanced to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history.
South Florida Volleyball has won nine Player of the Year honors, most recently with Maria Clara Andrade winning American Conference honors in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025. The Bulls have also earned four Setter of the Year honors, most recently with Caroline Dykes being recognized in 2024.
South Florida volleyball has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 13 conference titles since the program's inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus in Tampa.
Tomasa posted her ninth game of the season with double-digit kills, following a 13-kill performance. She added two assists and two blocks. Addy Brus posted 10 kills, along with one block and one assist. Ryelle Rondo (16), Miya Thomas (12), and Laila Ivey (11) posted a perfect 1.000 percentage on service receptions. Thomas recorded a match-high 12 digs. Nina Jioshvili-Ravva dished out a match-high 30 assists and added three blocks. Amelia Wass de Czege recorded a match-high five blocks, including a career-high three solo blocks. Iyanna Garvin finished with four blocks.
The Bulls posted a season-best .380 hitting percentage against the conference's third-best blocking team. South Florida outblocked Rice 10-4.
The first set was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team able to pull away. After falling behind 12-10, the Bulls scored four unanswered points to take a 14-12 lead. After a Rice point, South Florida went on another 4-0 run, extending its lead to 18-13. The Bulls won the opening stanza 25-17. The first set featured nine ties and four lead changes.
After Rice started the second set 2-1, South Florida went on a 5-0 run to take a 6-2 lead. The Bulls extended their lead to seven, 17-10, midway through the set. South Florida won the second set 25-15. The set featured only two ties and one lead change. Tomasa led the attack with six kills. Jioshvili-Ravva, Garvin, and Wass de Czege each recorded two blocks.
The final set was the closest of the match. After a few early ties, the Bulls took a 12-7 lead and never surrendered it. The third set had four ties, all before the 5-4 mark, in favor of South Florida. Tomasa, Ivey, and Brus each had four kills in the set. Wass de Czege led the way with two blocks. The Bulls won the third set 25-23 to secure the sweep.
Note-A-Bulls
• Tomasa posted her ninth game of the season with double-digit kills, following a 13-kill performance.
• Addy Brus recorded back-to-back matches with double-digit kills, including 10 kills on Friday.
• Miya Thomas recorded a match-high 12 digs.
• Ryelle Rondo (16), Miya Thomas (12), and Laila Ivey (11) posted a perfect 1.000 percentage on service receptions.
• Nina Jioshvili-Ravva dished out a match-high 30 assists.
• Amelia Wass de Czege recorded a match-high five blocks, including a career-high three solo blocks.
• The Bulls posted a season-best .380 hitting percentage against the conference's third-best blocking team.
Up Next
South Florida returns to The Corral on Sunday, October 4, to face Temple. First serve is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
Follow South Florida Volleyball
For the latest updates from South Florida Athletics, visit GoUSFBulls.com. Follow the Bulls on X / Instagram / Facebook
Get your tickets today!
Call 1-800-GO-BULLS (1-800-462-8557) or email BullsTickets@usf.edu to claim your season or single-game tickets. You can also download the South Florida Bulls app on the Android or Apple stores to purchase tickets and parking. Visit USFBullsTix.com for more information.
About South Florida Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her seventh season at the helm of her alma mater in 2026. Named head coach on January 8, 2020, as a player she helped lead the Bulls to two conference championships and a pair of NCAA tournament appearances. As head coach, she led the Bulls back to the NCAA Tournament in 2025 for the first time since she was a player in 2002 and guided USF to the 2024 AAC regular-season championship, earning her first Coach of the Year Honor. In 2023, the Bulls won the American Conference East Division, made a postseason appearance in the NIVC, and advanced to the Fab Four to mark the longest postseason run in program history.
South Florida Volleyball has won nine Player of the Year honors, most recently with Maria Clara Andrade winning American Conference honors in back-to-back years in 2024 and 2025. The Bulls have also earned four Setter of the Year honors, most recently with Caroline Dykes being recognized in 2024.
South Florida volleyball has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances and won 13 conference titles since the program's inception in 1972. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), located adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus in Tampa.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballTeam Stats
Rice
USF
Kills
30
42
Errors
19
9
Attempts
97
98
Hitting %
.113
.337
Points
36.0
60.0
Assists
28
38
Aces
2
8
Blocks
4
10
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
4
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