South Florida Volleyball Travels to Penn State for Two Ranked Matches

Friday, September 18

University Park, Pa.

6 p.m.

University of South Florida

Penn State

Photo by: Lindsey Shimko / South Florida Athletics

South Florida Volleyball Travels to Penn State for Two Ranked Matches

September 16, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

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The Bulls face No. 9 Penn State and No. 16 Tennessee

By: Chad Smith

TAMPA, Fla. (September 16, 2026) – The University of South Florida volleyball team hits the road for the final non-conference matches of the 2026 season at the Penn State Classic. South Florida faces No. 9 Penn State on Friday, Sept. 18, at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, then wraps up the tournament against No. 16 Tennessee on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1 p.m. on BTN+.

After a phenomenal week at the net, Paula Tomasa led South Florida and the American Conference with 46 kills. Her 4.60 kills per set was the best mark in the conference. She posted a hitting percentage of .314. She also recorded two assists and two service aces. She finished the week second on the team with 21 digs, averaging 2.10 digs per set. She recorded seven blocks, producing 0.70 blocks per set. She led the Bulls with 51.5 points for the week. Against Dayton, she recorded a career-high 19 kills and tallied a career-high 13 digs. In the match against Michigan, she added 13 kills and posted a .400 hitting percentage.

Stout Blocking
South Florida ranks among the NCAA's best in blocks. The Bulls are tied for 26th with 2.68 blocks per set. Amelia Wass de Czege is tied for 24th in the country with 1.42 blocks per set.

Yaya Killing It
Iyanna Garvin leads the team with a .310 hitting percentage. She is three blocks away from 200 career blocks.

Know the Foes
South Florida and Penn State will meet for the fifth time on Friday. The Nittany Lions lead the series 4-0, and this will be the first matchup at Penn State.
The Bulls and Volunteers will meet for the fourth time on Saturday. Tennessee holds a 3-0 lead, and this will be the second neutral-site matchup in the series.

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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.