USF (7-8; 1-0 American) used big games from sophomore Lindsey Pliapol, senior Jac’cara Walker(Gainesville, Fla.) and junior Rafaela Biegelmeyer (Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil) to take the win, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18. The Bulls will take on UConn (6-6) Sunday at noon.
Walker led the Bulls with 11 kills and added eight digs while Pliapol added nine kills and five digs and Biegelmeyer posted 35 assists and eight digs to help the Bulls hit. 274 on the night. USF used 11 blocks on the night, led by five from Ally Barnhart (Lenexa, Kan.), to stymie Temple as the Owls hit .137.
USF jumped to a quick lead taking set one behind six kills from Walker and five from Pliapol. The Bulls extended their lead with an impressive second set, pulling away from a tight set at 8-8 to cruise to a 25-19 win behind a team effort that saw five Bulls post three kills and Barnhart and Jac St. Cin (St. Petersburg) log a pair of blocks each. Biegelmeyer recorded 14 assists in the set and the Bulls offense was humming, hitting .343.
USF jumped to a quick 5-0 lead in the third set and forced a Temple timeout. The Bulls pushed the lead to 10-4. Temple rallied and closed to within 15-13, but USF heated up again, and kills by Legg and St. Cin put the cap on a 25-18 victory. Barnhart posted four kills and three blocks in the final frame.
Notables
- USF posted its first conference opening win since downing Tulsa to begin the 2014 American Athletic Conference season.
- Ally Barnhart continued her strong play at the net with five blocks on the night and now leads the Bulls with 59 blocks on the year.
- Jac’ara Walker’s 11 kills on the night give her 179 on the year and her eight digs give her 167 on the year.
About USF Women’s Volleyball
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.
Head coach Courtney Draper led her team to 20 wins in 2018, the most in her time at USF and the most for the program since 2002. The Bulls appeared in the NIVC, the program’s first postseason trip since 2002. Senior outside hitter Jac’cara Walker led USF with 394 kills and recorded her 1000thcareer kill during the 2018 year, on her way to earning first team All-American Athletic Conference honors. USF returns four starters, including its libero, while welcoming 9 newcomers to the fray in 2019 in the form of two transfers and seven freshmen.
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