TAMPA, Fla., March 6, 2026 – The University of South Florida beach volleyball team opened play at the Tampa Beach Brawl on Friday with a pair of victories at the Tampa Beach Complex, defeating Tampa 4–1 before sweeping Barry 5–0.
 
South Florida continued its strong early-season play, controlling both duals and improving its overall record while competing close to home.
 
South Florida 4, Tampa 1
South Florida closed the day with a strong 4–1 victory over crosstown opponent Tampa.
 
Zoey Mitchell and Josie Sek (Pair 1) battled to a tight first-set win before finishing the match 24–22, 21–15.
 
Julia Panko and Cornelia Crudu (Pair 2) earned a point for the Bulls with a 21–17, 21–18 victory.
 
Abigail Lagemann and Morgan Anderson (Pair 3) earned another point for the Bulls with a 21–15, 23–21 victory.
 
Kate Stewart and Tereza Lajkebová (Pair 5) controlled their match throughout, winning 21–15, 21–13.
 
Pair 4 fell in close contests, but the Bulls secured the dual with four court victories.
 
In exhibition play, Addison Bounds and Alyx Zaptaka competed as Pair 6, with their match going unfinished in the third set.
 
South Florida 5, Barry 0
The Bulls delivered a dominant performance against Barry, winning all five courts in straight sets.
 
Kate Stewart and Tereza Lajkebová (Pair 4) earned the opening point with a 21–14, 21–16 victory. Alyx Zaptaka and Bella Almeida (Pair 5) quickly followed with a 21–13, 21–18 win to give South Florida an early 2–0 lead.
 
Julia Panko and Cornelia Crudu (Pair 1) extended the lead with a 21–14, 21–10 victory. Ryann Genest and Josie Sek (Pair 2) added another point with a 21–10, 21–14 win.
 
Abigail Lagemann and Morgan Anderson (Pair 3) closed out the sweep with a decisive 21–14, 21–8 victory. 
 
 
Note-A-Bulls:
• Dominant Sweep — South Florida defeated Barry 5–0, winning all five courts in straight sets.
• Crosstown Victory — The Bulls earned a 4–1 win over Tampa to close the day.
• Two-Win Day — South Florida collected two dual victories at the Tampa Beach Brawl Day 1
 
UP NEXT
South Florida continues play at the Tampa Beach Brawl on Saturday, facing Palm Beach Atlantic at 9 a.m. before taking on Eckerd at 1 p.m. at the Tampa Beach Complex.

Follow USF Beach Volleyball
Follow USF Beach Volleyball on X, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest information concerning the USF Beach Volleyball program.

About USF Beach Volleyball
The University of South Florida Beach Volleyball program is the newest program in the now 21-team USF Athletics program. South Florida Beach Volleyball joined Conference USA on July 1, 2025. Pri Piantadosi-Lima was named South Florida's first-ever beach volleyball head coach on June 6, 2023. She also serves as the head coach of USAV Beach and the national team development program and was honored as the 2022 USA Volleyball Female Junior Coach of the Year. Before joining South Florida, Piantadosi-Lima helped launch the Eckerd College program in 2015 as an assistant coach and helped lead the program to its first AVCA national championship and two consecutive NCAA championship podium finishes.


– #GoBulls –