TAMPA, August 26, 2023 – Buse Hazan (Istanbul, Turkey) set a new career-high with 20 kills for the second day in a row in the University of South Florida’s 3-2 (25-22, 18-25, 25-22, 16-25, 8-15) loss to the No. 11 Florida Gators in front of a record-breaking crowd of 6,877 in the Yuengling Center on Saturday night.
The Bulls quickly jumped out to a 5-3 lead over the Gators behind a group effort. Florida put pressure on South Florida, going on a 5-1 run to take a one-point lead, but Hazan took the momentum back, tying the set at 12. Lauren Lewis (Tarpon Springs) and Tizi Puljiz (Resistencia, Argentina) kept the momentum going, scoring two points each. The Gators got as close as one point, but South Florida kept the lead and took the first set from Florida.
South Florida and Florida traded punches in the second set, tying four times before either team reached 15 points. The Gators found a rhythm, scoring 10 of the next 12 points, and eventually tied the match a one set each.
Hazan led the way for the Bulls in the third set, scoring the first four points for the Bulls. In her run, she broke her career-high in kills and matched her career-high in service aces, both set yesterday. Late in the set, the Green and Gold found themselves down by five points, 19-14. A Gator service error started an unbelievable 10-1 run by the Bulls that put them at set point. Hazan scored five straight points, bringing her match total to 14 kills. Her 15th was the set point.
Florida came out in the fourth set and quickly took a 7-2 lead. Three Gator errors and two kills from Hazan and Puljiz, made it a two-point set. A 9-2 Florida run in the middle of the set gave the Gators the momentum they needed to take the last two sets.
Maria Clara Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) recorded her eighth career double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.
Freshman libero, Lia Schneider (St. Charles, Ill.) led the match with 16 digs, bringing her weekend total to 30, earning herself the title of Most Outstanding Libero for the tournament. Hazan also earned a spot with 27 kills. The full tournament team is below.
R2TBI All-Tournament Team
Taylor Tramell- Penn State
Liv Mogridge- Georgia Tech
Larissa Mendes- Georgia Tech
Kennedy Martin- Florida
Anna Dixon- Florida
Buse Hazan- South Florida
Most Outstanding Libero
Lia Schneider- South Florida
NOTABLES
- This is the first time since 1990 that the Bulls took two sets from the Gators, the last time, South Florida won, 3-0.
- The 3-2 loss was the first five-set loss to Florida in program history.
- Freshman Miya Thomas (Gainesville) made her first collegiate appearance. In her first rally, the Bulls scored a point.
UP NEXT
South Florida is back home next weekend as they host the USF Invitational. They welcome, Idaho State, FGCU, and Mercer on Friday and Saturday in the Yuengling Center.
About USF Volleyball
Head coach Jolene Shepardson enters her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater in 2023. Named head coach on Jan. 8, 2020, Shepardson led the Bulls’ program to its last conference championship and NCAA tournament appearance as a student-athlete in 2002. USF made its last postseason appearance in 2018, posting 20 wins and appearing in the NIVC. USF Volleyball has made seven NCAA Tournament appearances and won 12 conference titles since its inception in 1972 and is entering its 50th campaign in 2021-22. The Bulls play in The Corral (1,000), adjacent to the Yuengling Center on the USF campus.
Be sure to follow USF women’s volleyball on social media (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
– #GoBulls –
