Bulls Take Down Ospreys 3-1 in Blacked Out Home Opener

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Sept. 10, 2019

Web Release: http://bit.ly/2Aa81L7

 

USF to Face North Florida in Home Opener Black Out 

The South Florida Bulls will take on UNF during first regular home game of the season.

MATCHUP: USF Bulls vs. UNF Ospreys

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.

LOCATION: The Corral 

LIVE STATS VS. UNF: https://gousfbulls.com

LIVE STREAM: USF Athletics Youtube

TWITTER UPDATES: @USFVolleyball

 

TAMPA, Sept. 10, 2019 – The USF volleyball team will welcome North Florida to The Corral at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night in its home opener which features a blackout promotional night. 

 

The Bulls (2-3) look to gain momentum at home after three tough matches on the road during the Hurricane Invitational. Falling to FGCU (13-25, 17-25, 14-25), USF battled Auburn to a heartbreaking five-sets (25-20, 26-28, 13-25, 25-21, 15-17) and closed out the weekend against Miami (21-25, 26-28, 19-25).

 

Against FGCU, USF showcased freshman outside hitter Jac St. Cin (St. Petersburg, Fla.) with a .429 hitting average and in earning seven kills. Senior Jac’cara Walker (Gainesville, Fla.) recorded seven kills of her own during the game as well. Closing out the night was a match-high 15 digs coming from defensive specialist CC Clausen (The Woodlands, Texas). The Bulls took Auburn to five-sets during the second day, being led by Lauren LaBeck (Chicago) in assists. The sophomore setter racked up the assist column with 25 against the Auburn and 18 against Miami. Battling to the very end, the Bulls were almost always two points while facing the Hurricanes.

 

Clausen leads the team defensively with 93 digs this season. Freshman Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.) has recorded 21 blocks during the first five games of 2019, adding to the Bulls defensive game. Walker, 2018 All-American Athletic Conference First Team honoree, tops the leader board in kills with a whopping 51 in total through five matches.

 

 

UNF (2-4)

The Ospreys have earned victories against Charleston Southern and Mercer but the wins bookend four straight losses. Both of UNF’s wins were 3-0 sweeps. UNF defeated Mercer (25-18, 25-17, 25-22) with the help of Julianna Askew nailing a team-high five aces and 32 assists. Last weekend, two Osprey’s were named to the UNF Invitational all-tournament team, Gabby O’connell and Rocio Moro. Outside hitter O’Connell averaged 16 kills against the Bears and libero Moro proved to be a defensive weapon with 53 digs on the weekend. 

 

Head coach Kristen Wright is in her second year and in 2018 led the program to a spot in the ASUN Championship. 

 

 

Notables

 

• Jac’cara Walker tallied 18 kills against the Auburn, leading the team. 
• LaBeck and Rafaela Biegelmeye (Brazil) each climbed the charts with 25 and 13 assists against the Auburn Tigers. 
• Lindsey Pilapol (Daytona Beach, Fla.) earned a spot on the AAC Honor Roll (Sept. 3) after her performance on opening weekend.

 

[NewEnglandBull]

So they are so-so again? 

[Brad]

USF ATHLETICS GoUSFBulls.com

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: Sept. 10, 2019

Web Release: http://bit.ly/2ZRAuEY

 

Bulls Take Down Ospreys 3-1 in Blacked Out Home Opener

Jac’cara Walker had a team-high 15 kills in the home debut

 

TAMPA, Sept. 10, 2019 – The USF volleyball team pulled away from North Florida in the fourth set to win 3-1 in a blackout home opener at the Corral on Tuesday night.

 

The Bulls improve to 3-3 on the season, while the Ospreys fall to 2-5. USF opened the first set with a close 25-23 victory, highlighted by a match-high 17 team kills. USF got ahead 24-22 when Rafaela Biegelmeyer nailed a service ace, but the UNF attack got the Ospreys back within one. Jac’cara Walker put the first set away with a clutch kill, assisted by Biegelmeyer.

 

USF fell just shy of taking the second set when the Ospreys won their lone set of the night, 25-23. Walker helped the Bulls tie the set 23-23, but two straight kills from Osprey Solimar Cestero sealed the second set defeat. UNF out-attacked USF in the second set with an attacking percentage of .405, as opposed to the Bulls’ .297.

 

In the third set the teams battled back and forth in a blacked out Corral, and USF used another 17 kills to take down North Florida , 25-23. The set was gridlocked at 23-23 when Walker once again slammed down to put USF ahead 24-23. Freshman Ally Barnhart put away the set with a kill assisted by Biegelmeyer.

 

USF pulled away in the fourth set when the Ospreys ran out of gas and the Bulls won the set handily, 25-13. USF opened the final set with a 6-0 run and never looked back, earning its first win at home in 2019.

 

 

Key Stat

3 – Three Bulls had double-digit kills on the night, Jac’cara Walker had 15, Lindsey Pliapol finished with 13, while Jac St. Cin contributed 11.  

Notable

• Jac’cara Walker led the Bulls with 15 kills on the night.
• Lauren LeBeck led in assists with 28 and had four service aces on the night.
• CC Clausen led with 16 digs.

 

Up Next

USF will travel to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend for the Gator Invitational. The Bulls will take on No. 10 Florida on Sept. 13 at 12 p.m., Long Beach State at 5 p.m., and then wrap up the weekend facing James Madison at 2 p.m. on Sept. 14.